‘Twis the Friday before the 4th of July
And all through my street flags are set out to fly.
I’ve done all the prepping that patriots do,
My friend Ryan’s fiesta well within view …
The burgers and dogs bought from Costco in packs,
So big you just look and get splits in your slacks,
Are taking up room in my freezer but soon,
They’ll be part of a feast that lasts all afternoon.
The beers are all sitting in wait for some ice
To bring their cold-activated labels to life,
And my team U.S.A. jersey’s hanging with care
(Tosh.0 said, this summer, your arms should be bare)
But something’s amiss … What can it be?
I know that I made sure to R.S.V.P.
Got my camouflage hat and tri-color balloons …
OH SNAP! The music! We need us some tunes!
I need to crank up the Ameri-swag quick,
But where do I turn? Toby Keith is a dick;
And Miley is partying, but who can tell why?
(OK, I’m obsessed with that song, I can’t lie.)
There has to be music that rings pure and true,
When I think of the spirit of red, white and blue.
So I scour my iTunes collection, bar none,
Leaving no stone unturned, no tune unspun.
And then in the very last place I would look —
The perfectest verse with perfectest hook!
But this just can’t be — a song for the 4th
That’s sung by K’naan, our friend from the north?!?
That’s right! He’s Canadian! Somalian too!
His formative days spent in Mogadishu.
But being a foreigner shouldn’t detract
From the fact that his song “Wavin’ Flag” is jam packed
With the message we’re coming together to send —
That freedom and justice will win in the end.
So raise up your bottles and barbecue tongs
To this most unlikely but fitting of songs
And to the two-hundred-thirty-sixth time we can say
“Suck it!” to England! It’s Independence Day!