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For Independence Day, I present to you the lyrics from "Status Quo" from the show, Pins and Needles:
Are you ready to hear your lesson for today? Are you ready to hear what history has to say? Then take your books and follow me, to 1776 AD, and as the history pages turn, we will see what we can learn.
In 1776 Tom Paine was writing books with might and main. A Tory said, "now man alive, stop giving out with this here liberty jive. Don't sing out people's rights that way, they might believe in what you say. So stop your song, it's not polite, pipe down before you start a fight."
Ah, but Tom Paine looked ahead, and to those Tories Thomas said, "No, no, no, no, when you got to go, you got to go, you can't stand still on freedom's track, if you don't go forward, you go back. You can't giddyup by saying "whoa" and sitting on your status quo."
To Washington at Valley Forge, a wise guy whispered, "Slow down, George! Why stir up trouble for the King? This freedom racket is a corny thing. Your troops are ickies, they can't move, you'll never get them in the groove. So if you're wise, you'll just lay low, play with the guys that have the dough."
Ah, but George just looked ahead, and to that Tory Georgie said, "No, no, no, no, when you got to go, you got to go. You can't stand still on freedom's track, if you don't go forward, you go back. You can't giddyup by saying, "whoa" and sitting on your status quo."
Now Paul Revere saw a Belfry light, and that boy rode to town one night, sang to the farmers near and far, "Here come the British beating A to the bar."
One slippery Tory said, "Now Paul, your manners aren't nice at all. Turn back, don't be an old hep cat, the right people don't sing like that."
But Paul Revere turned him down flat! Aha, that's right, he rode ahead, and to that Tory, Paul just said, "When you got to go, you got to go, you can't stand still on freedom's track, if you don't go forward, you go back. You can't giddyup by saying Whoa and sitting on your status quo"
So students, now you're hep don't stop, keep stepping to that freedom hop, although the Tories beat and blow, to keep you sitting on your status quo.
When they say, "let's stand still a bit, give up some rights, no harm in it", remember those are just the tricks that did not work in '76. When Tories talk, don't be misled, and say what all those others said: "No, no, no, no, when you got to go, you got to go. You can't stand still on freedom's track, when if you don't go forward, you go back. You can't giddyup by saying "whoa" and sitting on your status quo."

Flagmaker, 1775

This is the song that popped into my head while I was watching the fireworks on the mall. It's from Songs for a New World which is my favorite album.
With the guns flaring and the drums pounding, there's no hope of getting rest.
With the lights glaring and the call sounding and the clenching in your chest.
When the man's in battle and the baby's rattle only makes you more depressed...
The wise woman does what she knows- If it's fighting, she fights, if it's sewing, she sews.
When the tension inside overflows and goes too far-
One more star, one more stripe, to escape your lonely bed
one more star, one more stripe, join the blue, the white and red
one more star, one more stripe, as you pray your child's not dead.
With the roof leaking, and the wall's wetter and the night as black as pitch. With wind shrieking and his last letter says he's fighting in a ditch. When the candle flickers and the river bickers what else can you do but stitch?
One more star, one more stripe, till you feel the rising sun.
One more star, one more stripe, till this foolishnees is done.
One more star, one more stripe... will be waiting when we've won.
Grab a needle, grab a thimble, if it's all that keeps you sane. Think of freedom as a symbol, think of justice as a gain. Think of life with independence, think of muskets and brigades. Think of taking the oppressor, think of banners and parades. When the gate creaks, and the paint cracks and the cat cries and the night crawls, raise a flag, raise a flag, raise a flag, till you're free.
One more star, one more stripe, till this bloodshed's finally through.
One more star, one more stripe, till they come back home to you.
One more star, one more stripe, when there's nothing you can do.
If they take all the things that define what you were and are... one more star.