4th of July: The Land Remains

Written By Evan Hammonds
“ All the armies of Europe and Asia could not, by force
Take a drink from the Ohio River
Or set a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years
If destruction be our lot,
we ourselves must be its author and finisher
As a nation of free men, we will live forever,
or die by suicide ”
— Lyceum address, Abraham Lincoln

You can enjoy the 4th of July: The Land Remains playlist in its entirety on Spotify. Just click on the included Spotify plugin.

Last summer, my brother, father, and I made a cross country trip to California to drop my brother off at the the doorstep of his internship in Anaheim, California. Sure, we could have flown, but it was the perfect opportunity to fulfill one of those Americana experiences we had so often talked about doing and that so many that came before had sung, written or parodied in relation to the pilgrimage.

I’m going to spare with you the play-by-play of the journey, although I certainly could share with you the details about how moving the Memorial was in Oklahoma City, how good that out-of-the-way breakfast spot was in Little Rock, or how I swear I spotted a buffalo from my passenger-side window at some point (a claim my two copilots dispute - I simply think they’re jealous for missing seeing such a majestic beast) as we rolled along steadily, taking a slithering I-40 across the Southwest.

What’s more important than these details was the fact that I was able to share such a rewarding and memorable experience with the people closest to me. For once, “We’ll do that someday” had become a “we’re doing this today.”

It’s been about a year now, but I often reflect on the vastness, variety of terrain, and the colorful people bonded with along the way. At the risk of sounding corny, it was like America herself was our fourth traveler, and was changing along the trip at the same pace we were.

During this pandemic, my dad, brother, and I have shared photos of our trip in a group text chat as the quarantine strained our ability to see each other as freely as we once could. It makes the trip feel like it’s still ongoing.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the playlist and your 4th of July. As much as I’m sure you’ll look forward to hot dogs, fireworks, and maybe an adult beverage or two; I encourage you to remember to celebrate the idiosyncratic and imperfect country you reside in and the people in your life that make it special. Cheers!

PS: In your face England, these colors don’t run.

If you have a specific song that you’ve recently discovered or come to love, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at freshcutfinds@gmail.com.

Each month, we put together a playlist of our favorite discoveries new & old. Each playlist will be about the length of a mix CD (80 mins) and will be sent on the 1st day of the month. Subscribe with your email address to receive the monthly Unearthed playlist, plus other occasional speciaty playlists.

Evan Hammonds
Previous

Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 6 - July '20
Next

Black Protest Music, Unearthed (#12)