Arlo Guthrie (born 10th July 1947, Brooklyn, New York ) is an American folk… Read Full Bio ↴Arlo Guthrie (born 10th July 1947, Brooklyn, New York ) is an American folk singer who is the son of folk singer and composer Woody Guthrie and his wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a one-time professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. He graduated from the Stockbridge School of Massachusetts in 1965, and briefly attended Rocky Mountain College.

His most famous work is Alice's Restaurant, a talking blues song that lasts eighteen minutes and twenty seconds (in its original recorded version; Guthrie has been known to spin the story out to forty-five minutes in concert). The song, a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft, is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie was called up for a draft examination, and rejected as unfit for military service as a result of a criminal record consisting in its entirety of a single arrest, court appearance, fine and clean-up order for littering. In reality, Guthrie, though a carrier of the genetically inherited disease Huntington's chorea, was classified as fit (1A); however, his draft-lottery number did not come up.

All Over The World
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics

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I was watching the news tonight
And all over the world
People were singing and carrying signs
All over the world

Everybody walking hand in hand
Through cities that I've been
And though I'm not there tonight

You know I'll be back again
I'll be back again, I'll be back again

I'm on a plane tonight for Germany
And all over the world
There are lots of people just like you and me
All over the world

Who know the bomb must never fall again
All over the world
And we must all learn how to live as friends
All over the world
All over the world, all over the world

We are making the news tonight
All over the world
Because we know that what we do is right
All over the world

Everybody walking hand in hand
All over the world
Through the streets of Europe and Japan

All over the world
All over the world, all over the world

Overall Meaning

Arlo Guthrie's song "All Over the World" was released in 1981, and it is a song about universal solidarity to make the world a better place. The song begins with the singer watching the news and seeing people all over the world protesting and rallying for change, often holding signs and singing. The chorus of the song emphasizes the message that everyone is walking "hand in hand," even in cities and countries that the singer has never been to. The final verse sees the singer on a plane to Germany, recognizing that everywhere in the world, people are striving for peace, friendship, and a better future.

The song's message is one of hope and togetherness, and it emphasizes the power and determination of people standing up for what they believe is right. Despite the divisions, the song affirms that everyone is working towards the same goal, which is to live peacefully and harmoniously with each other.

One interpretation of the song is that it comes from Guthrie's own experiences as a political activist. Protest and social justice movements, and the powerful sense of community that can come from them, have been a significant part of Guthrie's career. The song's optimistic chorus, "All over the world, all over the world," captures the essence of the solidarity that activists feel, even across borders and oceans.

Line by Line Meaning

I was watching the news tonight
At that moment, I was watching the news

And all over the world
All around the globe

People were singing and carrying signs
The population was demonstrating and celebrating

All over the world
In all the countries of the world

Everybody walking hand in hand
Everyone agreeing, collaborating and supporting one another

Through cities that I've been
Travelling together through places I've explored before

And though I'm not there tonight
Although I'm not present at that moment

You know I'll be back again
I assure you I will return again

I'll be back again, I'll be back again
I'll reappear on numerous occasions

I'm on a plane tonight for Germany
Presently, I'm journeying by plane to Germany

And all over the world
Everywhere in the world

There are lots of people just like you and me
Many individuals who are similar to us exist in various nations

All over the world
In every corner of the planet

Who know the bomb must never fall again
Realizing the lifesaving imperative of nuclear disarmament

All over the world
In all regions of the world

And we must all learn how to live as friends
It's crucial for us to coexist in harmony and camaraderie

All over the world, all over the world
All across the globe, everywhere

We are making the news tonight
Our latest activities are appearing on the news this evening

All over the world
In every nation globally

Because we know that what we do is right
We're doing the correct action, and we're aware of it

Everybody walking hand in hand
Everyone united in unison

All over the world
Everywhere throughout the world

Through the streets of Europe and Japan
Journeying through the pathways of Europe and Japan

All over the world, all over the world
In every corner of the planet, repetitively

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL FRISCH, CHARLES TOBIAS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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