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.
Can't Help Falling in Love
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wise men say only fools rush in
But I cant help falling in love with you
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I cant help falling in love with you
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I cant help falling in love with you
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I cant help falling in love with you
For I cant help falling in love with you
In "Can't Help Falling In Love", Arlo Guthrie delivers an emotional ballad about falling in love despite the wise words of others. The song is a testament to the power of love and how it can sometimes overpower our reasoning and rationale. The opening line, "Wise men say only fools rush in", speaks to a commonly held belief about love - that it is irrational and risky. But Arlo's assertion that "I can't help falling in love with you" suggests that sometimes love simply cannot be contained or reasoned with.
The metaphor used in the song is that of a river flowing to the sea. Just as the river cannot help but flow towards its ultimate destination, some things in life will inevitably happen. The phrase "Some things are meant to be" reinforces this idea that maybe love is one of those things that is simply meant to happen. The chorus, "Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you" is a plea to the object of Arlo's affection, asking them to embrace their love and to accept him fully, despite any imperfections or risks that come along with it.
Overall, the song "Can't Help Falling In Love" is a beautiful and timeless love ballad that speaks to the deep emotions and desires that we all feel at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Wise men say only fools rush in
Smart people indicate that only unwise individuals move too quickly
But I cant help falling in love with you
However, I cannot stop myself from feeling strongly attracted to you
Shall I stay
Should I remain close to you
Would it be a sin
Would it be morally wrong
If I cant help falling in love with you
To have these uncontrollable romantic feelings for you
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Just as a waterway moves steadily towards its destination
Darling so it goes
My love for you moves in a similar fashion
Some things are meant to be
Certain relationships are predestined to occur
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Come along with me and be a significant part of my existence
For I cant help falling in love with you
I genuinely cannot resist my fondness for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kelkabot
This is what it's all about. No wind machines, no laser shows, no autotune. Just music and love. Actual love and actual music.
@bonniepierce245
So true 👍 👌
@tusharray1494
Absolutely...a gem
@jannbush603
U R SO RIGHT!!!
@james2578
What’s it’s about is different to everyone
Learn that and you’ll finally understand “love and music”
@james2578
What a load of rubbish. Clearly you haven’t lived kelkabot
@gaylasmith5279
Watching this 16 September 2023. Arlo is the best storyteller hands down. I laughed, wept and totally enjoyed the moment.
Arlo singing that Elvis tune. Priceless!
@QHarefield
I love the way he took a fairly short story, and span it out into the 20-min epic that is Alice's Restaurant. The man is hilarious!
@ellenmahony2457
❤saw Arlo and family a few years ago. Love him!
@akdonlh9924
Watching this 2024 never gets old