I get weepy every time I listen to this song. Before the record came out I was listening to this song in the car with Ben and said something like, “Oh, man! The nostalgic music fits the sentiment of the lyric so perfectly! It’s like the two things just” (I clapped my hands) “chonk together!” It was the best I could come up with, fer-klempt as I was.
So here it is, a song from The Ill-Tempered Klavier chosen in light of our recent holiday, “4th of July”.
4TH OF JULY Words and Music by Ben Shive
The first star of the evening Was singing in the sky High above our blanket in the park
And by the twilight’s gleaming On the 4th day of July The city band played on into the dark
And then a canon blast A golden flame unfolding Exploded in a momentary bloom
The pedals fell and scattered Like ashes on the ocean As another volley burst into the blue
But the first star of the evening never moved
We stood in silence The young ones and the old As the bright procession passed us by
A generation dying Another being born A long crescendo played out in the sky
Yeah
This nation, indivisible Will perish from the Earth As surely as the leaves must change and fall
And the band will end the anthem To dust she will return So the sun must set on all things, great and small
But the first star of the evening Will outlive them all