The Alice's Restaurant Massacree

[N2NH]

For some reason, with Thanksgiving Day coming up in a few days, Alice's Restaurant (Massacree) came to mind...

"Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is a musical monologue by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie released on his 1967 album Alice's Restaurant. The song is one of Guthrie's most prominent works, based on a true incident in his life that began on Thanksgiving Day 1965, and which inspired a 1969 movie of the same name. Apart from the chorus which begins and ends it, the "song" is in fact a spoken monologue, with a repetitive but catchy ragtime guitar backing. Though the song's official title, as printed on the album, is "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" (pronounced "mass-a-cree," not massacre), Guthrie states in the opening line of the song that "This song's called 'Alice's Restaurant'" and that "'Alice's Restaurant'... is just the name of the song;" as such, the shortened title is the one most commonly used for the song today.
In an interview for All Things Considered, Guthrie said the song points out that any American citizen who was convicted of a crime, no matter how minor (in his case, it was littering), could avoid being conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War.^[1]
The Alice in the song was restaurant-owner Alice M. Brock, who in 1964 used $2,000 supplied by her mother to purchase a deconsecrated church in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where Alice and her husband Ray would live. It was here rather than at the restaurant—which came later—where the song's Thanksgiving dinners were actually held.
The song lasts 18 minutes and 34 seconds, occupying the entire A-side of Guthrie's 1967 debut record album, also titled Alice's Restaurant. It is notable as a satirical, first-person account of 1960s counterculture, in addition to being a hit song in its own right. The final part of the song is an encouragement for the listeners to sing along, to resist the U.S. draft, and to end war.

It has become a tradition for many classic rock radio stations to play the song each Thanksgiving...

Guthrie later wrote a follow-up recounting how he learned that Richard Nixon had owned a copy of the song, and he jokingly suggested that this explained the famous 18½ minute gap in the Watergate tapes.

The Alice's Restaurant Massacree.

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant,
Walk right in it's around the back, just a half a mile from the railroad track...

[n2ize]

Probably one of the finest works of subversion, communism, and anti-Americanism that was ever written.

[N2CHX]

Probably one of the finest works of subversion, communism, and anti-Americanism that was ever written.

Anti-war, but I don't see it as anti-American.

[n2ize]

Anti-war, but I don't see it as anti-American.

If a person is against the war then they should just sand up and say "I am opposed to this war and I refuse to serve in a way that I consider unjust."

I too was opposed to the Vietnam war. I was also too young to serve at the time. But, had I been older and had my country come to me and asked me to serve I would go..

"Alice's restaurant" was IMHO a work of satire. He was really taking a satirical look at the entire process from the war itself to the anti-war rhetoric of the time. Yes, I did buy the album in my youthful years. I am sure I still have it amongst my stack of old 33.3's.

[W3WN]

If a person is against the war then they should just sand up and say "I am opposed to this war and I refuse to serve in a way that I consider unjust."

I too was opposed to the Vietnam war. I was also too young to serve at the time. But, had I been older and had my country come to me and asked me to serve I would go..

"Alice's restaurant" was IMHO a work of satire. He was really taking a satirical look at the entire process from the war itself to the anti-war rhetoric of the time. Yes, I did buy the album in my youthful years. I am sure I still have it amongst my stack of old 33.3's.

My senior year in High School, they didn't have a draft for 18 year olds (yea!) so I didn't have that monkey on my back. Still, we were required by the school to take all of the military aptitude tests (which I now know was illegal, but that's another story), and as a result, I got calls for a couple of years from the recruiters for all branches of the military.

Technically, the fighting was over at this time... but we all know historically what happened next.

Anyway, a simple question I asked each recruiter: If I join, could I or will I be sent to Vietnam? The Army guys assured me I probably would; the others said it was a real possibility.

And that was that. I wasn't willing to serve if I could or would be sent into what was left of that mess.

[W4RLR]

Anti-war, but I don't see it as anti-American.

Me neither.

[n2ize]

Me neither.

It could be considered anti-American because it encouraged illegal and what was then also considered subversive actions, namely creating false conditions and false morals in order to evade the draft and avoid service. Now I can understand that the war at that time was becoming very unpopular and anti-war sentiments were growing in leaps and bounds and they were presented satirically and humorously. I enjoyed it myself. And I too was quite opposed to the war during that time. Nonetheless, if my country were to have called on me to serve back then I would have jumped at the opportunity in a heartbeat and gone. What would give me the right to think I should sit home while my friends are going. In short, I would go.

[K7SGJ]

I consider myself true American, and I have always enjoyed his works. I like to watch the movie every time I see it, too. Although not necessarily Emmy material, it is entertaining in a thoughtless sort of way. Sort of like Congress.

[kb2vxa]

Aw cummawn, you're making a mountain out of a mole hill again. Arlo like his father Woodie is a master of comedic satire and both their works are funny enough to bust a gut so I suggest wearing a girdle while listening. Both are in keeping with their times in history, dated but oh so familiar. In Alice's Restaurant Arlo is also the master of the double entendre making it all the funnier. Another is stuck in my head forever...

Santa Clause wears a red suit,
He's a Communist.
Has long hair and a beard,
Must be a pacifist.
What's in the pipe that he's smoking?

[n2ize]

Aw cummawn, you're making a mountain out of a mole hill again. Arlo like his father Woodie is a master of comedic satire and both their works are funny enough to bust a gut so I suggest wearing a girdle while listening. Both are in keeping with their times in history, dated but oh so familiar. In Alice's Restaurant Arlo is also the master of the double entendre making it all the funnier. Another is stuck in my head forever...

Santa Clause wears a red suit,
He's a Communist.
Has long hair and a beard,
Must be a pacifist.
What's in the pipe that he's smoking?

Santa sneaks in to your house at night.
He must be a dope fiend, to keep you uptight
Why do police guys beat on peace guys..

(Because as Robert Zimmerman said, peace guys are "rotten doctor commie rats" )