ARLO GUTHRIE Alice's Restaurant REACTION - A movement,comedy,thanks giving,the law all in one song! 

Alice's Restaurant is an anti Vietnam War protest song. There was a movie made of the song/story. Arlo is the son of world famous folk singer Woody Guthrie.

This is a protest song against the draft for the Vietnam War. He's telling young people to resist the draft, using his true-life experience. People used all kinds of tricks to avoid the draft - making themselves feverish at the physical, staying up and drunk for days, pretending to be insane, joining the clergy or Peace Corps, etc. There were a lot of anti-Vietnam War songs in the day.

Harri, you would be amazed at how many children of the 70's know this whole song by heart!

As a testament to the reach of this song, the Associated Press published the obituary of Officer Obie when he passed away in 1994, nearly 30 years after he inspired the song by arresting Arlo for littering. Officer Obie was also used as a model for several Norman Rockwell paintings and Saturday Evening Post covers previously.

A movement indeed- millions of old hippies play it every Thanksgiving. And it's 75% a true story! I saw him in concert a few years ago; nowadays he looks like Santa Clause.

Arlo is the son of Woody (Woodrow Wilson) Guthrie, who was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. Great Thanksgiving tune! Thanks, Harri! ✌🏻💀

Harri, I am 72 and became of draft age in 1968. None of my peers wanted to go fight in Vietnam even though we felt a lot of patriotism. From 64 to 68 we learned so many guys had died and those that came back told stories of storming one hill, losing good men, to then pull back and then repeating the same stupid atrocity a week, or a month later. It was a war that our politician hamstrung the military and messed up terribly. This song became so famous because many of us were torn - wanting to be patriotic and serve our country, but not wanting to participate in a terribly run war - potentially dying for what!?! “Alice’s Restaurant” captured that angst we felt so well…funny, poignant, silly, rebellious. There was a movement brewing that rejected the war. We all began singing “You can get everything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant!”. Side note: guys were not joining in sufficient numbers, so they instituted a military draft. They put 365 ping pong balls in a big hopper, numbered 1 thru 365, and then began drawing those ping pong balls. Your birthday was assigned a chronological number. In 1968, the first year, they drafted everyone with birthdays shown on the first 150 or 160 balls. My birthday was selected Number 49 and it changed the rest of my life. The only choice was to go to Canada (or another country) or become a CO (Contentious Objector), which tainted your resume for years. Can you see why this song gained such popularity?

When Arlo wrote this song, America was still drafting young men into the army. And specifically at this time they were being drafted to fight in the Vietnam war, a war which many Americans opposed. His movement was to find a way to keep yourself from being drafted. He wasn't drafted because of his arrest record. His idea was for people to do something off the wall that would make the army reject them too, such as walking into the draft office, singing a bar of Alice's Restaurant, and walking out. And if a great number of young men protested in this way, then they couldn't fill the army with the numbers they needed and couldn't fight a war that a lot of people didn't think we should be fighting in the first place. Funny song but about a deadly serious topic.

Greatest protest song against the Vietnam Draft ........ Still played at 12 noon across the U.S. every Thanksgiving.✌️💗

From a Boomer: thanks so much, Harri, for reacting to this. This is the great anti-draft/anti-war song from the Vietnam War era. The inequities of the era are savagely illustrated with humor and wit. And we all responded. FFS, they televised a lottery for drafting soldiers in that time. I sat in the lobby of my dorm with my male friends and watched as they received word of their fate. That's how insane it was. And many of us who lived through that era still play this every Thanksgiving. Arlo is also the son of one of the greatest activists/folksingers this country ever produced. This apple did not fall far from the tree.

For those of us who are of a certain age ;) listening to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant is very much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday every year. It is iconic.

I saw him do this live on a TV special and he wasn't reading it . And this was made into a movie starring Arlo himself.

Alice's Restaurant is actually a true story. Arlo and his friend were trying to avoid the Draft and it was Arlo's Draft letter that Officer Obe found in the garbage pile. The church where Alice lived is actually a museum now. Happy Holidays!

First time in years I heard this song without a major buzz! I'm 69😊

A Thanksgiving tradition. I was fortunate to see Arlo with Pete Seger back in the ‘80’s, and it was a beautiful night under the stars listening to two of the best folk artists. And yes, he did this song live exactly as you hear it. They did make it into a movie.✌️❤️🎶

Arlo has said one of the reason the melody is simple and repetative is he wanted something that he could easily play for up to 25 minutes without thinking about it while singing and telling the story. Since you like this song, you might want to check out The Motorcycle Song(the Significance of the Pickle).

I used to play this for my kids when they were preteens. I'm 73 now and my kids are in their 40's and they all still listen to this iconic tune every Thanksgiving. It's a tradition I hope always continues. Love ya Brandi, Brandon, and Blake!

Wonderful, Harri! It's a classic! Yep, it's an anti-government, anti-draft, anti-war protest song from the Vietnam War era. 🙂 The college radio stations used to all play it every Thanksgiving Day. Tradition!

He actually starred in his movie called "Alices Restaurant".

Arlo is pure gold. He saw our nation through some pretty perilous times, specifically the Vietnam War.

If you liked this, you would really like Arlo Guthrie The Motorcycle Song (The significance of the pickle.)

A Vietnam War protest song greatest of all time IMO " City of New Orleans " is my favorite by Arlo its great American folk song ✌💞

Arlo is a storyteller. But he's also a musician. This isn't the only thing he's ever recorded or been famous for. Actually, he did a fantastic version of "City of New Orleans", which is about the final run of a well-known train in America. I've attended several concerts he's done, and he's amazing. But like I said, Arlo is first and foremost a storyteller, even if he doesn't record or perform all that many stories. I first heard "Alice's Restaurant" when I was 14 or 15 years old (I'm nearly 70 now); my English teacher played it for the class. The class ended before the record did, and many of the students left muttering how weird the record was. Me, I was obsessed with it, loved it. It being a Friday, I asked my teacher if I could borrow the record for the weekend and bring it back on Monday, and she was kind enough to loan it to me. And by Monday I had it all memorized. Now, actually, the story is a lot shorter than you might think. There are extremely wordy chucks that extend the narrative time. And repetition fills the time even further. But once you get used to using "27 8x10 color photos with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was, to be used as evidence against us" in place of "photos", it gets easy to remember everything; you don't need a script. No, what is more amazing is how Arlo can accompany himself on the guitar throughout and adjust the playing to emphasize the action in the story while speaking to the audience and delivering the narrative in an almost personal way. I home in the near future you will do a reaction to Arlo performing "City of New Orleans"; it's a really great song written by Steve Goodman (RIP). This song was released in 1967; in 1969, it was made into a movie, starring Arlo Guthrie. But while it makes a great story, it did not translate well into a movie. I don't recommend looking it up or watching it. This song has little to do with the American legal system; it had to do with the Vietnam War. By the mid-1960s, young men were required to register with the federal government's Selective Service for military draft. Some went ahead and enlisted, many more tried to get into college for that college deferment that kept them out of being drafted, some joined the Peace Corps to serve in America of abroad in helping others, and some (known as 'draft-dodgers') left America to avoid military service. For many, they crossed over into Canada to accomplish this. There was a lot of panic among young people during that time. Those that were called in for examination were checked for physical health, psychological stability, and often provided medical tests and vaccinations. If you were rejected on medical or psychological grounds, you were marked 4F and didn't have to serve, and many young men tried to get a 4F status. One way to be found 4F was to convince the draft board that you were homosexual, which at the time was considered a condition that made you unfit for service. Another way to get a 4F was to have a bad enough criminal record. So, this song was satire; it was based on a true story that happened to Arlo, but he embellished it into a bit of comedy that went with the feelings of many young people of that time. They didn't want to go to war or be forced to do morally/ethically questionable things for a cause that made no sense to them. The Vietnam War was never an official war; it was called a 'police action'. Currently Putin is doing the same with his invasion of Ukraine. No, Arlo wasn't trying to pass a message or instigate anything about the legal system or the military as such; he was aligning with the anti-war sentiment and movement already in place in the time this song was written. No one then took this as serious; it was just a hilarious take on dealing with a government demand few young people wanted to be burden with or forced to do.

They did do a movie called Alice's Restaurant with Arlo playing the main character, it was released in 1969. This was something that kinda happened to him with of course some poetic license.

Sadly we don’t have story tellers anymore. This is pure genius. I cant find anyone 40 years later who can do this. I think we lost something important in life. The ability to convey your thoughts and feelings to others.

Yes, there is a movie based on this. Staring Arlo Guthrie

For many years, Classic Rock stations in the US would play this in the early afternoons on Thanksgiving Day, when everyone was in the kitchen cooking, and none of the DJ's wanted to work, so they'd take an extended smoking break. It, alongside the WKRP in Cincinnati "Turkey Drop" episode are modern USA'n secular holiday traditions.

A 1969 film was based on this song. "If you wanna stop war and stuff you gotta sing LOUD! " What a line. But sadly, as Joni Mitchell sang in her song "California": They won't give peace a chance -- that was just a dream some of us had.

It was a movie also. He is a folk hero just like his Dad Woody. Arlo still tours with his kids as his band.

My friends and I saw him live back in the 70s in a small venue in New York , and yes , he did Alice’s Restaurant along with many other original Songs, great time . He’s the son of iconic songwriter Woody Guthrie .

I've seen Arlo twice..he sings Alice's Restaurant, every time!~ funny every time!

There was a move about this made in 1969 & I don't remember much about it because I last saw it in 1987. Arlo is in it.

Great reaction, Harri. Arlo is truly one of a kind. When it was revealed that one of the major pieces of evidence against President Nixon in the Watergate Scandal was that there was an 18 minute section on one of the tapes that was blank, Arlo said "Hey, isn't Alice's Restaurant 18 minutes long?" Implying that this song had been recorded on one of the most historical pieces of American history!

You will not find a better storyteller than Arlo Guthrie. I've had the great privilege of seeing him live twice.

Hey, Hari ! There were millions of us fans who could recite this word-for-word by in 1967. (Especially those of us who worried about being drafted and sent to Vietnam.) This is a powerful and beautiful antiwar performance. True patriotism, in my book.👃

Yes, it would be pretty difficult to NOT like this “song.” I never got tired of listening to it! Not Thanksgiving without it.

A guy in my college dorm loved this song. He'd walk into the common area of the dorm with his guitar and sing the whole darn thing from memory.

This is an anti Vietnam war song, one of the best

It should be noted the Arlo was the featured act at Woodstock. It's his picture that was used on the promotion posters. And yes I had the pleasure of seeing him live half a dozen times over the years, the last time being about 8 years ago where I got to shake his hand in thanks for all the years of inspiration, and yes he played Alice's Restaurant that evening. He is currently enjoying a well deserved retirement after 50 years of being on the road.

I'm so happy that you enjoyed the song, Harri. I was young, and very much against the war when this song was released. I love the song every bit as much now as I did then. I've had the privilege of seeing Arlo perform 5 times. Except for the 50th anniversary tour for Alice's Restaurant when hearing it was a sure thing, each concert I hoped, but was convinced that he would not perform the song. I knew the concerts would be great no matter what, but he did perform it, each time. He is a fantastic performer. He lives in Stockbridge and owns the church now. Officer Obie played himself in the movie (apparently in spite of significant misgivings). He and Arlo subsequently became friends. He passed a few years ago.

I've seen him live twice at the Keswick and yeah hes just a natural born storyteller

This is still played on the radio around Thanksgiving time.

Anti-war, social commentary, and fun. It's a classic. I've been singing Alice's Restaurant since I was a teen and I am an old woman now. Thanks for reacting!

Him playing the same 3 chords throughout the whole song was very impressive.

Alice's Restaurant was a Vietnam War protest song that was partly based on true events. This song reminds me of better times when I would listen to it with my brother.

On top of all of the lengthy lyric is the mesmerizing fact that Arlo is the one playing the guitar through the entire song!

I saw Arlo in the late 1980's where he worked the length of the song into a story of the 18 minute lapse in the Nixon Watergate tapes. It was friggin' genius.

Yes, he did it from memory. They made a movie out of it. Enjoy

Yes. They made a movie Alice's Restaurant.

I saw Arlo way back when Yes he does the entire thing live

He was talking about the draft during Vietnam. The "movement" was the message. Yes, it used to get lots of play at Thanksgiving. Not sure if it still does or not. I'm old enough my first copy of this was on 4 track tape. Not 8 track, not cassette, but 4 track tape cartridge.

I have seen Arlo at least 3 times. And he plays and recites / sings the whole thing from memory.

I saw Arlo in concert many times in my youth and this is my favorite song

Anybody remember the "Rolling Blunder Review"? Arlo is one of the best story tellers. Truly gifted. Saw him a couple of times in Ct.

This song is played every Thanksgiving at my house . EVERY Thanksgiving ✌️❤️🎶I have seen this performed live many times , he AND the audience recite it word for word. And it was made into a movie starring the singer himself . Arlo is the son of Legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie

A great Thanksgiving song ! We listened every year on the radio going to our families for thanksgiving. They are gone now (RIP) but we still listen every morning while preparing the meal. Good one !!

I saw him a few years ago for the 50th Anniversary of Alice’s Resturant, and he recited the entire thing. It was made into a movie as well.

I try to listen to this song every Thanksgiving. It has been a personal tradition from the late 60's. Arlo had the gift of story telling. Another Arlo Guthrie great was "City of New Orleans".

Hey Harri YOU are correct sir. There was a movie made of this song, Starring Arlo Guthrie his own self, along with Officer Obie, Alice, her husband Ray, played by James Broderick, and M. Emmett Walsh as the Army officer in charge of the Group "W" bench. The movie is a bit darker in tone than the song, and goes into alot more detail, about everything. I do have it in my DVD collection. I have seen Arlo in concert three times, he only played "Alice's Restaurant" at one of the shows, but he kept us entertained the whole time. He does tour with a full band, it is not just him, solo with a guitar, but that would be great. He's done those shows too, like his appearance at Woodstock in 1969.

Arlo has a video of him covering Elvis's "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You " Pete Seeger is with him I think it wraps what Arlo is all about

I couldn't believe it when this popped up in my feed. Thank you for the reaction, Harri - rare, and much appreciated! You would also like Guthrie's "Coming into Los Angeles" and, in a very different and beautiful vein, "City of New Orleans." Arlo is truly his father's son.

They actually made a movie based on this song, which I saw many decades ago.

I listen to this every Thanksgiving. I got to see Arlo perform it live way back in the day. Enjoy

Yes, I have seen him live three times in the 70's. He did perform this....what an exceptional storyteller!

It is a Thanksgiving day tradition in my house to play ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ and singing along. Silly to some, but we have fun with it.

I'm so glad you found this : it's like home base for exploring the dylanesque sound sphere.. officer Obey had his day , Arlo had his say & Alice's restaurant thrives on every time someone pays it the homage to play ... Cos you can get anything you want... At Alice's restaurant.. 🤣

The holiday season is never complete for me until I hear this song. This year it was a special treat to share it with Harri and the other besties ❤️. Happy holidays to all 🎄🎁🍗🦃🎄. Love to all. I’m so glad you enjoyed this. 🎄🎁✌️

Brilliant insight into American culture told through humour and superb guitar playing. Never heard it before but couldn't stop laughing at the irony of the chain of events. And what a story teller! Thank you for posting and your openness to try more offbeat ideas.

This was an anti war song. This song gets played yearly on Thanksgiving Day by many American radio stations. It has become a tradition to listen to this on Thanksgiving.

I saw Arlo a couple years ago and he did indeed do the entire song on stage with no teleprompters or other props.

*I hear this song once a year on Thanksgiving Day. It's an American tradition to hear this song on Thanksgiving.* 😎👍

Yes, I’ve seen him live and he’s spectacular !!!

Harri, it IS a movie!! The movie, also called “Alice’s Restaurant”, was released in 1969, two years after the song came out. It’s well worth seeing. The film got nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards.

Oh, I look forward to your reaction to this.

2 years after the song was released, Arlo Guthrie actually played himself in the movie version. It also had the real Alice, and the real Officer Obie

Thanks. Haven't heard this great song in yrs.

He wasn't reading off a script; he actually had (and still has) the major beats memorized. It's a true story, embellished for comedic effect, but the gist of it really happened. Just remember, it took place in the mid 1960's, and Arlo and his friend were hippies. That should clear up any questions you may have.

Anti-draft Anti-war song In1969 this was made into a movie titled Alice’s Restaurant.

A true classic. I'm glad that it is now part of your life and music background.

Oh this brings back great times when family & friends got together & sang along to this story telling by Arlo Guthrie ! If you said - You can get anything you want… people automatically sang along to this happy, comedic recording . Thanks for this one, brings smiles & makes people sing a long and have fun 😻🇨🇦💥

I have heard this every Thanksgiving since I was a kid in the 70s. This crazy long-ass song is a Thanksgiving staple on the radio. Or at least it was when I used to listen to the radio a lot. This is from a movie of the same name (which I did not know until recently), and it is available for free on RU-vid. And craziest of all...the story is true! Or at least some of it allegedly is. I'm not sure what parts, lol. And Officer Obie is real, and cooperated with the movie from what I've read. The 60s and 70s were NUTS. In a good way, lol.

As many have commented here, I waited every year on Thanksgiving for it to be played on the FM radio-here in NYC it was WNEW and also on college radio stations. WFMU, Upsala College in NJ was one of them. I knew every word and I still know every word and still listen to it on Thanksgiving. I saw the movie when I was 15. It was released 2 years after the song. Same summer as Easy Rider. And the Woodstock concert. I love Arlo! In 1969 his album, Running Down the Road, was released. I still love every song. “Coming Into Los Angeles” was a hit. “Coming into Los Angeles Bringing in a couple of ki's Don't touch my bags if you please Mister customs man, yeah” Those were the good old -and bad old-days. Music was phenomenal. But there were protests against the war in Vietnam and sometimes these ended up violent. In May 1970 the National Guard shot at peacefully protesting students at Kent State University and killed 4, wounded 9. Harri if you have t yet, listen to Crosby Still Nash and Young’s “Ohio,” about that massacre.

I saw Arlo with Pete Seeger, in western Massachusetts in 1977 or 78, and it was a wonderful experience. Yes, this became a movie. He was a clever, deep, performer and to see he and Seeger, who's social activism was legendary, was a special special day. I see many have stated about his dad, a god of American folk music; so glad you enjoyed and keep up the gracious work.

All of the truly hip rock and roll stations play this song every Thanksgiving. I've heard it at least 100 times and it never gets old.

This was a short movie. This is an anti-war song. This was released during the Vietnam War. Young men were being drafted into the Army. I joined the Navy in 67 to beat the draft. The only guys between the ages of 18 and 34 safe from the draft were politicians sons, sons from wealthy families, married guys and guys in college who were studying in specific fields like teaching and medicine, but they had to maintain a certain grade point average.

I have listened to this song every Thanksgiving for the last 15 to 20 years. Its a tradition in out house that is only enjoyed by myself now.

This is an obscure classic . And it is also fun to play on the guitar. Harri - you need to check out "Comin' in to Los Angles" by Arlo. I had to play it for British customs officers at Heathrow in 1972 (long story.) Hope you All had a Great Holiday. I have no idea if it (the clip) still exists, but I saw him on TV (Smother's Bros. ?) doing this, that was how/when I discovered Arlo and his music.... and yes , he does the whole thing, no pauses or breaks. This was the late sixties - and this is, yes, VERY anti war. In this case, Viet Nam. Arlo was definitely part of the Hippie movement. Cheers.

It was a Viet Nam era anti war song. A radio station I listen to plays it every Thanksgiving at 2PM on the radio. It was also made to protest the 4 minute rule for songs that AM radio (commercial radio) made and since FM radio was just starting those stations began playing it since they didn't care about the AM radio rules.

This should have been done, five weeks ago. 😋 But that's okay. This song is great, any time of year!

I love Arlo, this was my first grown up album. I have seen him in concert many times but unfortunately I haven't seen him perform Alice's restaurant live.

In answer to your question, yes, he still plays this live, keeps the amazing riff going throughout the whole performance. He must play it in his sleep as well. Great reaction to a 'song' I've been listening to since the seventies. Keep it going, Harri

Yup, saw him do it in Madison, WI with my mom. It's an anti-draft song, and he introduced it by noting that he hadn't performed it for years because there was no draft during that time but that politicians had brought back the draft so it looked like he had to start singing it again. The crowd in Madison brought down the roof on the last chorus. :-)

FIRST! I had to for this song. Thanks Harri! I hope this gets played in November again. 💜💜💜 Harri, I think this song is about the absurdities of fascist authority and war. But how great was it that his crime of being a litterbug was on the same level as the "father-rapers?" And the "kill" scene with the psychiatrist is one of the most memorable for me. He's trying to sound insane and not worthy of the military, but they LOVE him for that! The song is LONG, but worth every second IMO. It goes by so fast every year. He's a wonderful storyteller. WELL DONE! May your numbers rise every Thanksgiving week. 😊

I was brought up on folk music, especially the music of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and the Weavers. For many years as a child, when we camped in the Adirondacks (New York state) along with a number of other families from Canada, every night ended with singing "Good Night Irene". Later, it became kind of a thing that guys (it was always guys! Hey it was the '60s...) who could sing "Alice's Restaurant" or "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" were pretty cool. I wonder how many of them remember all the words now! Here is "Good Night Irene" from the Weavers...we were lucky in British Columbia that Ronnie Gilbert spent so many years here gracing us with her voice: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MSDyiUBrUSk.html Here is Arlo playing "Alice's Restaurant" at a Farm Aid concert...I think he remembers the words: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--yLg_bzwvxg.html Here is a documentary about Arlo's dad, Woody Guthrie: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-roRzmTmT5kU.html

It has been a tradition in our family for over 20 years to play this song every Thanksgiving.

I have seen Arlo in concert. He didn't do "Alice" (he doesn't do it often because of the length), but he does a lot of story songs and it's all from his head.

This is a Thanksgiving tradition for my family. I've heard it every Thanksgiving since I can remember and I'm 45. Now my adult kids listen to it every Thanksgiving. 😊 He definitely recites it all out. I watched him performing a much more recent version recently. He was at least in his late 60s. Our Christmas tradition is Snoopy's Christmas by The Royal Guardsman. I didn't like it as a young kid but as I got older I learned to love and appreciate the story behind it.

Just a great old tune, sung by a great storyteller born into his genes. It's a true story. The US Thanksgiving song. In 1997 Arlo joked about the length of the tune in an interview. 18 minutes and 34 seconds, the same amount of time of the infamous gap in the Watergate tapes. Said to be an anti war tune. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and JK Clark. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

I was a storyteller for a number of years in the 90's, and I can tell you he is definitely doing this from memory. I'm sure you've noticed how much repetition there is in this song, for one thing. That's a classic tool of the storyteller, using chunks of words that repeat every time (the description of the photos, the shovel and rakes, "all kinds of mean nasty ugly horrible things"), as is the way he structured the story with a definite rhythm. Doing voices also helps, as it makes the characters distinct. The presence of the guitar helps, as well, and his use of it supports the recitation, as it carries the rhythm of the story, and he uses the guitar to hit the story beats - notice how he'll stop playing to punctuate a climactic moment and then resume slowly to telegraph his reaction. All of these things contribute to making the story easier to remember and recite. It really is an amazing piece of storytelling, and it's been a classic since the 60's. Really glad you decided to do this one, and that you enjoyed it so much. :)

Saw Arlo Live in the 70s. He’s an amazing storyteller. One of the best concerts I ever attended.