Arlo Guthrie

Alice's Restaurant Massacree

1967 · Reprise RSLP 6267 · Burbank, California

Artist
Arlo Guthrie
Title
Alice's Restaurant Massacree
Release
Alice's Restaurant
Year
1967
Label
Reprise # RSLP 6267
Format
LP · Album
Language
English
Country
Burbank, California, USA
Songwriter
Arlo Guthrie
Genre
Folk · Psychedelic Folk
Primary theme
Peace, Protest & Anti-War

Annotation

"Alice's Restaurant Massacree" (Reprise Records # RS-6267) is an 18 minute first person satirical monolgue which is opposed to the Vietnam War draft. The monologue has two parts: The first part is centred around Thanksgiving, November 25, 1965, when Guthrie was arrested for dumping litter. The second half sees Guthrie being called up for the draft, and the bureaucratic roller-coaster ride at the New York City induction center on Whitehall Street. At the end of the monologue, Guthrie calls on people to oppose the draft and join the "the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacree Movement". He adapted the song into the 1969 movie Alice's Restaurant, directed and co-written by Arthur Penn and starring Guthrie as himself. Although dated, this is a key historical document of the 1960s counter-culture. Also released a single - Alice's Rock & Roll Restaurant (Reprise Records # 0877) - an edited version without the lengthy monologue.Covers: The New Christy Minstrels - Alice's Restaurant (1968 / Columbia # 4-44577) Kane's Cousins - Alice's Restaurant (1968 / Shove Love Records # 501) Garry Sherman - Alice's Restaurant Massacree (1969) / United Artists Records # UA 50589) Peter Ritchie - Alice's…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Born 10 July 1947, Brooklyn, NY, United States

Themes

Anti-War · Draft

In collections

Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs