Gretchen Peters

Well she seemed all right by dawn's early light,
Though she looked a little worried and weak.
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again,
But daddy left the proof on her cheek.
And I was only eight years old that summer.
And I always seemed to be in the way,
So I took myself down to the fair in town
On Independence Day.

Well word gets around in a small, small town.
They said he was a dangerous man.
Mama was proud, and she stood her ground,
But she knew she was on the losin' end.
Some folks whispered, and some folks talked,
But everybody looked the other way.
And when time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day.

Chorus:
Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing.
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning.
Let the week be strong, let the right be wrong.
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay.
It's Independence Day.

Well she lit up the sky that fourth of July.
By the time that the firemen came,
They just put out the flames and took down some names
And sent me to the county home.
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong,
But maybe its the only way.
Talk about your revolution,
It's Independence Day.

Chorus

Roll the stone away.
It's Independence day.