Howdy. I imagine that right now, half of you have already made plans filled with beaches, beers and/or salty kosher meats that are going to come off the grill so juicy and delicious that you just have to eat more and more and more because it’s the freakin’ weekend.
The other half, though—and let’s be honest here—is probably a bit stressed out because you don’t quite have the types of funfunfun plans lined up that seem to be a Bud Light-branded requirement of being alive during this long, patriotic weekend.
But, like, whatever—good on all of you. Enjoy the time off however you want, be it around a barbecue or an Xbox. You do you.
To cover the barbecue crowd, here’s a playlist from the inimitable Sara Ivry, host of Tablet’s podcast, which as she writes, is “full of songs invoking and alluding to the ideas—and ideals—that the Fourth of July embodies:”
1.”Happy Birthday Abie Baby,” Hair
2.”Rockin’ in the Free World,” Neil Young
3.”Born in the USA,” Bruce Springsteen
4.”My Country,” TuneYards
5.”American Tune,” Paul Simon
6.”Everything Is Free,” Gillian Welch
7.”America Without Tears,” Elvis Costello
8.”Redemption Song,” Bob Marley
9.”Free to Be You and Me,” New Seekers
10.”This Land Is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie
11.”America,” West Side Story
12.”Me & Bobby McGee,” Janis Joplin
13.”Refugee,” Tom Petty
14.”America,” Simon and Garfunkel
15.”Free,” Cat Power
16.”Chimes of Freedom,” The Byrds
And here’s some cover for the Xbox crowd—the indoorsy types:
1. “Summertime,” DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (such a fresh music video, back when Will Smith was still cool)
2. Party and Bullshit / Party in the U.S.A.,” Notorious B.I.G. & Miley Cyrus (had to fit Biggie in; Brooklyn what)
3. “Good Life,” Kanye West (before he was Mr. Kardashian)
4. “Chicken Fried,” Zac Brown Band (some Americana for all)
5. “Song for America,” Destroyer (genre: adult contemporary? Okay, adult contemporary)
6. “American Boy,” Estelle ft. Kanye West (just a nice pop hit with a verse from Yeezus)
7. “Firework,” Katy Perry (don’t hate)
8. “Ms. Jackson,” Outkast (because the duo is perhaps the best in hip-hop history)
9. “American Baby,” Dave Matthews Band (they were big when I was in high school, and they rock)
10. “Nuthin’ a “G” Thang,” Dr. Dre (because I say so, so just chill, till the next episode)
Be safe and have fun, y’all.
Jonathan Zalman is a writer and teacher based in Brooklyn.
