Have you ever been listening to the radio on Thanksgiving Day and happened upon a strange number in which a very folksy sounding man is narrating a story about restaurants and littering? If you have, and had the courage enough to listen through all 18.5 minutes of it, then you have subsequently heard a big part of music history.
“Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” is a song by Arlo Guthrie which tells a true story in which two boys are taken to court for littering, which later leads to them not being drafted into the Vietnam War since they were marked as criminals. The song is presented in talking blues: a style of old country music where the lyrics of the song are spoken, rather than sung, sometimes in a slightly poetic manner. The lyrics of this song in particular are filled with humor through irony and simple human stupidity. Instances like having a blind judge, holding a court case for an eventual fifty dollar fine or presenting photographic evidence for proof of littering are just a few of the moments that make this song stick with you.
However, what really gives this song a place in history is the political standpoints which Guthrie presents through this cunning use of irony and humor. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” was recorded and released in 1967, during the peak of the Vietnam War. Guthrie used this song to shed some light on the occurrence of counterculture in America during those horrific times. By simply telling the story of these two unfairly convicted boys and their role in the military draft, Guthrie successfully shows how oblivious the government was to the dangerous subcultures that were forming as a result of the war. The ironic conclusion to the story sums it all up nicely as one of the boys is waiting to be tested for his moral waiver: "I'm sittin' here on the Group W bench 'cause you want to know if I'm moral enough to join the army, burn women, kids, houses and villages after bein' a litterbug."
Arlo Guthrie played a huge role in political protest and speaking out against social injustice through song, and “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” is proof of the perfection behind his execution of this. Since the song caught on as well as it did, it really stands out as being one of the most successful songs of its kind, and that fact further exclaims its deserved place in history. If you haven’t been lucky enough to catch this song on the radio during Thanksgiving Day, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Oh...and why does this song play on Thanksgiving every year? Only because the story of the two convicted boys originally took place on Thanksgiving of 1965. That’s really the only reason; disappointingly nothing special ;)
You can listen to the full 18.5 minute version of the song here (first track on the album):
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