What we wanted was chain lightning
What we wanted was 8 miles high
What we wanted was free fall
And our turn to fly

What we wanted was more fireworks
Everlasting 4th of July
What we wanted was more stars
In a bluer sky

All we wanted was something worth it
Worth the labor, worth the wait
Then they take you up to the mountain
You see too late

In the middle of a good time
Truth gave me her icy kiss
Look around, you must be joking
All that way, all that for this

What we wanted was consolation
The band of strangers, help for pain
What we wanted was to be sure
No friends were lost in vain

What we wanted was aggravation
A good cause and a bigger row
What we wanted was the whole plantation
Now, now, now

What we wanted was rhyme and reason
What we wanted was another way
What we get is a tin-pot heaven
And we're too drunk to pray

What we get is the old machinery
Grinding on in the same old way
What we need is the sweet republic
Roll on Independence Day