Lyrics of Independence

I was born in an old log cabin
Way, way back in the forest
With no neighbors for miles to talk to
Or do anything for us

No running water, no electric lights
Just an old pot belly stove to warm us
On those cold cold winter nights

Well my daddy left us
The day that I came
Leaving behind his picture
In an old dime store frame

He named me Independence
And that's no lie
Because I was born
On the Fourth of July

He left mama alone
To raise his only child
As he took off running
Running free and wild

So there I was
Just me and my Mother
All alone in the woods
But we had each other

She struggled to raise me
And keep me alive
I started helping out
When I was only five

We raised our own garden
A few chickens too
An old cow for milking
That's about all we could do

She taught me how to sew
She taught me how to cook
She read to me from the Bible
And an old geography book

Arithmetic and writing
She did her best
But I knew someday
I would have to learn the rest

Then suddenly, one day
I was alone again
Mama passed away
When I was only ten

I quickly decided
That was enough, enough for me
Time to leave, for I am now free
Leave this old log home
Nestled in the trees
The place that's always been home
My only home to me

So.....I headed South
As I started to roam
Gonna find the Father
The Father I've never known

Well I searched for three years
Without a single bite
Then one day I stumbled on to this coal mining sight

There in the middle, the middle of this old camp
Sat an old man that looked like an old tramp

He was bent over, all covered in dirt
So I pulled the picture
Pulled it out of my shirt

I thought maybe, just maybe
I'll give it a try
So I yelled Independence
And to my surprise
He stared right through me
With those old blood shot eyes

Son, he said, we meet at last
I hope you forgive me
For what I did in the past

When I named you Independence
I was not trying to be mean
It's because my daddy named your daddy
He named him Halloween

I always understood
It was always just fine
And it's only fair because
His name was Valentine

His Father was named Christmas.
I could go on til I'm blue.
Way, way back then
there's a Thanksgiving in there too

Well I've since had a son, a son of my own
And unlike me, I've never left him alone
And I chose to name him "Sunny"
I thought "New Years Day" just sounded
A little too funny.

© 2017 Bruce Coghill for Lyrics, Dan Carlson for Song. All rights reserved.
Feel free to copy and distribute the song and lyrics above.
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