this is what happens when I have time to think

Justice And Independence '85 Lyrics

John Mellencamp

He was born on the fourth day of July
So his parents called him Independence Day
He married a girl named Justice who gave birth to a son called Nation
Then she walked away
Independence he would daydream and he'd pretend
That some day him and Justice and Nation would get together again
But Justice held up in a shotgun shack
And she wouldn't let nobody in
So a Nation cried

CHORUS
Oh, oh
When a Nation cries
His tears fall down like missiles from the skies
Justice look into Independence's eyes
Can you make everything alright
Can you keep your Nation warm tonight

Well Nation grew up and got himself a big reputation
Couldn't keep the boy at home no, no
He just kept running 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round
Independence and Justice well they felt so ashamed
When the Nation fell down they argued who was to blame
Nation if you'll come home we'll have this family again
Oh, Nation, don't cry

CHORUS

Roll a rock across the country
Everybody come along
When you're feelin' down, yeah, yeah
Just sing this song, yeah yeah

I have been listening to Mellencamp for over 20 years but the album Scarecrow was the first of his albums I ever bought, yes it was an album. I remember how his lyrics expressed how I felt at the time. I had begun to mature and the old rockers just did not “speak” to me. I liked their music but I was drawn to the likes of Mellencamp and Springsteen. I had children in 1985 and had begun to be concerned with US and world issues. To be honest the political atmosphere then like now scared me. As I was listening to my old music I was again moved by what the artists had said in the past. Things have not changed much in the past 20 years. Some of the players have changed but the game is still the same and the American people are the losers.