Elliott Smith – Independence Day

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A future butterfly, gonna spend the day
Higher than high
You'll be a beautiful confusion, ooh
Once I was you

Ah, ah...

I saw you caught between all the people out
Making a scene
In a bright, ideal tomorrow, ooh
Don't go too far, stay who you are

Ah, ah...

Everybody knows
Everybody knows
Everybody knows
You only live a day
But it's brilliant anyway

I saw you out
A perfect place
It's gonna happen soon
But not today
So go to sleep
Amid the change
I'll meet you here tomorrow
Independence day
Independence day
Independence day

Send "Independence Day" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by EnjOy IncUbus, edited by ESophile

Track duration: 03:05

"Independence Day" as written by Steven P. Smith

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Independence Day song meanings
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37 Comments

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  • +1
    My Interpretation:I think this is a song is about someone who doesn't realize how beautiful they really are. The narrator is the only person who sees this and wants to prove to them how much he higher he views them compared to the other people out 'making a scene'; but he can't find the words to express his feelings. He wants to tell him/her that they have a bright future ahead of them and that their time is going to come but he realizes that he can't say this and becomes guilty because when he sees that the person is going down the same wrong path that he did, and is going to end up alone and unloved, and there's nothing he can do but watch. I'm basing this off personal experience, but it seems appropriate.
    Flag Aaron342on April 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me, this one is about living every day like it's the last. The butterfly is associated with gentle, fragile, beauty, happiness, joy... but they "only live a day". "Everybody knows" that they have limited time in this life, in this place, with those people that surrounds them... Nobody make out alive anyway... carpe diem:]
    Flag lenejaon May 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me, this one is about living every day like it's the last. The butterfly is associated with gentle, fragile, beauty, happiness, joy... but they "only live a day". "Everybody knows" that they have limited time in this life, in this place, with those people that surrounds them... Nobody make out alive anyway... carpe diem:]
    Flag lenejaon May 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me, this one is about living every day like it's the last. The butterfly is associated with gentle, fragile, beauty, happiness, joy... but they "only live a day". "Everybody knows" that they have limited time in this life, in this place, with those people that surrounds them... Nobody make out alive anyway... carpe diem:]
    Flag lenejaon May 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great lyrics in this one. As always with Elliott...
    Flag JimmieNeverDieson April 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'You'll be beautiful confusion' regarding the butterfly - Genius!
    Flag Placeholderon October 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is also about the tension between what's around us, and our ideals, the future, how things should be.
    Flag blerocson March 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think the title makes it work as a drug song or a relationship song. when people have a drug problem, a lot of the time it's referred to as chemical dependence. and elliott smith seems to like puns and phrases/words with multiple meanings i.e. dont go down, new monkey, needle in the hay, between the bars, bottle up and explode.

    (i think bottle up and explode also has to do with this song since they're both about being patient in some way and bottle up and explode has a line "seeing stars surroundng you, red white and blue.")

    also, he does use the word "high" and he would know that the first thing anybody would think of would be drugs, otherwise he would have used a different word.

    and to add to the drug idea, the "you only live a day" line could refer to living life "one day at a time," which is the AA motto. speaking in 2nd person, "you," doesn't mean it's necessarily someone else he's talking to someone else bc a lot of his songs, he uses "you" and "he" when he's talking about someone a lot like himself.

    basically, i think what everyone's said is right bc elliott purposely made his songs able to be interpreted multiple ways.
    Flag rpd236on January 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:wait actually i meant the second person to comment
    Flag scottelyon January 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is becoming one of my favorites from elliott. and i disagree with the drug excuse for this song, although he did have a drug addiction people seem to throw his songs into that category all too easily. like the first person to comment on this song i've heard elliott talking about how he wrote this song for a friend in an interview.
    Flag scottelyon January 09, 2008   Link

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