Independence Day: A Day to live for

‘Good Will Hunting’ first introduced me to Elliott Smith with Miss Misery at the end of the movie. The hauntingly beautiful melody made me rush to YouTube to check out the song. It was not long after that the algorithm recommended me Independence Day by Elliott Smith, another song with a melancholic intro that made me listen over and over again. Throughout the listening, the details that caught my ear amazed me.

Elliott Smith - XO (1998)

About the song

Independence Day is one of my favorite songs by Elliott Smith. It was released on the ‘XO’ album in 1998. It didn’t gain as much popularity as some of the other songs on the album. But it stood out to me because of its relatability and how wonderfully it metaphorically relates its subject to human life and celebrates it.

Elliott Smith

About Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith is popular for his exceptional songwriting ability and for blending elements of indie rock, folk and alternative music in his songs. Most of his works are acoustic and he had a marvelous sense of melody. His lyrics often tell a story through a song. Elliott Smith used his life experiences and trauma as an element of these stories which made his songs emotionally more complex and true.

Independence Day

In the song, Elliott Smith talks about a caterpillar referring as ‘Future butterfly’. The caterpillar dreams of becoming a butterfly soon and conquering the sky. The singer relates that once he was like the caterpillar too. In the next verse, he suggests the butterfly not to get blown away too much by the change and stay the same as before. Then the singer says that the caterpillar will live for only one beautiful day as a butterfly as they spend most of their lifespan as caterpillars. Then the song ends with him showing hope that the day will come soon and to wait for the Independence Day.

Finding the meaning

Elliott Smith initially wrote this song thinking about a friend of his who was suffering from depression at that time. This song was a message to him to tell him that everything was going to be fine soon and thus his independence day would come. This message resonates with me whenever there is a lot on my mind and I feel down. This gives me hope that everything will turn out to be fine soon and keeps me hoping for that independence day. This song helps me to be optimistic in my bad times.

From a greater point of view, the song could be a metaphor for human life. Life is full of ups and downs. But if you look deeply, you could say that life is full of more downs than ups for most people. Elliott Smith is well known for capturing the truth of life with his lyrics. And in this song, he beautifully shadows the truth of life with the example of a caterpillar hoping to become a butterfly. The Independence Day could be interpreted as the time when something good happens in life after rough times. The good times don't last as long as the bad times but these little bits of happiness are what make life worth living. The song not only captures this truth perfectly but also advises to be yourself and not to stray away too far in the meantime.

In conclusion, the melodious sound and the deep meaning behind Independence Day is what made me fall in love with this song. Give it a listen and I think you’ll love it too.