The 5th of July is the second track featured on the album Cinematic. It has a duration of 4 minutes and 11 seconds. An acoustic version was also released but was not part of the album, which is 3 seconds longer than the original. The acoustic version is mostly Adam's vocals and piano, with some rarely occouring sweeping electronic melodies. The song was included in the first reel with Fiji Water and All My Friends. The YouTube video for this song was released on December 1, 2017, and the acoustic cover of the song was released on December 6, 2017. This song was released with the rest of the songs on the Cinematic album on June 1, 2018. This song is different than most of Adam's work, as it contains acoustic instruments and sounds, but still retains an electronic feel to the music with a dreamy, carefree feeling.
Meaning[]
Adam sings about the time he was born in this song. In the writing process he says that he sat down with his parents to talk about everything they remember about the night he was born. Young feels this song and the story of everyone's birth is special in the way that we all began life at one point, and that no one can remember anything about it, which is why we have to rely on our family to tell us the story. He felt this was something very special and important to him, and he saw it fit to compose a song about it in both that way, and that Cinematic's whole idea is to compose music about the special people in his life and special moments in his life that make him who he is. He states in a behind the song video for The 5th of July that he hopes that the song invokes a specific thankfulness and love for your family. This can be shown in the acoustic version of this song where he adds a new verse about how you should love your family as much as your family does while you can, and the reverse is shown in the original 5th of July where it's more about Adam being a vulnerable baby and how much his parents love him.
Lyrics (Original version)[]
My mum woke my dad up
And said: It's time to leave
So they jumped in the old Caprice
And tore off into the night
On the 4th of July
They flew through the darkness
Driving like Jehu
And they rolled into Ottumwa
Before the sun begun to rise
On the 4th of July
And in walks Bob and Janice
Rachel's on her way
To peek in through the window
Hoping to hear her grandson cry
On the 4th of July
My mother watched the fireworks
From her hospital bed
And after it was all over
She held me for the first time
On the 5th of July
I've got my mother's brown eyes
And my dad's quiet way
And Grandma Rachel's love for music
The morning I arrived
On the 5th of July
Deep in Iowa country
And a heavenly hideaway
On the shores of Lake Rathbun
My folks brought me home
On the 5th of July
That was when (that was when)
Life began (life began)
For me
That was when (that was when)
Life began (life began)
For me
A teacher and a mechanic
Brought me into this world
They loved me with all their hearts since
The day I opened my eyes
On the 5th of July
That was when (that was when)
Life began (life began)
For me
That was when (that was when)
Life began (life began)
For me
Lyrics (Acoustic version)[]
My mother watched the fireworks,
From her hospital bed.
And after it was all over,
She held me for the first time,
On the 5th.
And deep in Iowa country,
In a Heavenly Hideaway,
On the shores of Lake Rathbun,
My folks brought me home.
Ooooh, on the 5th
Ooooh, of July
Ooooh, on the 5th.
A teacher and a mechanic,
Brought me into this world.
And they’ve loved me with all their hearts,
Since the day I opened my eyes,
So I’d do well
To tell myself...
To slow down,
And tell my folks I love ‘em,
With all of my heart.
‘Cause someday The Lord is gonna call them home,
And someday they’ll be gone.
So slow down,
And tell your folks you love ‘em,
With all of your heart.
‘Cause someday The Lord is gonna call them home,
And someday they’ll be gone.
‘Cause we all live,
Just one life,
And mine began,
Late that night.
Ooooh, on the 5th
Ooooh, of July.
Ooooh, on the 5th
Ooooh, of July.
Ohhh, on the 5th,
Ohhh, of July.
Ohhh, on the 5th...
Trivia[]
- An acoustic version of the song (which can be found here [1]) was released and consists of stripped vocals and piano only, where the lyrics start in the middle of the original version. It is much slower and more ballad-like, where one verse reflects on the fragility of human life.
- The meaning behind the song, was a conversation between Adam Young and his parents about the day he was born, and the events that occurred. He explains the beauty of the song is that for one of the most important days of a person's life (their birthday), they have no memory of what happened and must rely on the people who were there to tell the story. The idea of the song was to be thankful for the people who brought you into this world.