"4th of July" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the sixth track from their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire.
The song is an instrumental ambient track that was spontaneously improvised by bassist Adam Clayton and guitarist the Edge while producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois recorded, unbeknownst to the band.
Eno liked what he was hearing, so unbeknownst to both of them, he recorded it ad hoc as it was being played, straight to two-track 1/4-inch master tape - and that was the song finished, with no possibility of redoing parts of it later.
[4] Eventually, the piece would be forgotten about until it was unearthed at the end of the sessions, and Bono insisted on its inclusion on The Unforgettable Fire.
[6] U2 called it "4th of July" to commemorate the birth of Edge's daughter, Hollie, Bono's godchild, who was born on that date, right in the middle of making the album.