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.
Don't You Push Me Down
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you push me, push me, push me,
Don't you push me down.
Don't you push me, push me, push me,
Don't you push me down.
You can play with me,
You can take my hand,
Down to the pretzel stand.
You can wear my mommy's shoes,
You can wear my daddy's hat,
You can even get mad at me,
But don't you push me down.
Chorus
You can play with me,
We can build a house,
You can take my ball,
And bounce it up and down.
You can take my skates,
And ride them all around,
You can even get mad at me,
But don't you push me down.
Chorus
You can play with me,
We can play all day,
You can use may use my dishes,
If you put them away.
You can feed me apples,
Oranges and Plum,.
You can even wash my face,
But don't you push me down.
Chorus
The song "Don't You Push Me Down" by Arlo Guthrie & Family is clearly a child's song about playing together and having fun. Each verse talks about different playful activities that children can do together to pass the time. They can play with toys, build houses, feed each other, and even wash each other's faces. However, the key message of the song is that no matter how much fun they're having, they should not hurt each other physically. The repeated chorus of "Don't you push me, push me, push me, Don't you push me down" is a poignant reminder that while things like getting mad or being silly are all part of growing up, hurting others is not acceptable.
The song has a universal message that's relevant to both children and adults. The act of pushing someone down can be seen both figuratively (as in putting others down) and literally (as in physically hurting someone). The song urges listeners to treat each other with respect and kindness, and to avoid causing harm at all costs. The lyrics emphasize the importance of empathy and taking care of each other, which is a message that's always needed.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you push me, push me, push me,
I don't want you to physically shove me, even if we're playing and having fun.
Don't you push me down.
Please don't make me fall or hurt me in any way, even accidentally.
You can play with me,
I want to include you in my activities and have fun together.
You can take my hand,
I'm willing to hold your hand and guide you, or be guided by you.
We can skip together
Let's have fun and be carefree, like children skipping.
Down to the pretzel stand.
Let's go somewhere together and enjoy a snack or treat.
You can wear my mommy's shoes,
I'm willing to share my belongings with you, even if they might seem silly or childish.
You can wear my daddy's hat,
You're welcome to try on different things and explore your identity.
You can even get mad at me,
It's okay if we have arguments or disagreements sometimes.
But don't you push me down.
However, we need to respect each other's physical and emotional boundaries.
We can build a house,
Let's be creative and imaginative, and create something together.
You can take my ball,
I'm willing to share my toys and games with you.
And bounce it up and down.
Let's have fun and play with the ball together.
You can take my skates,
I'm willing to lend you my things, so we can both enjoy them.
And ride them all around,
Let's explore and have fun together, using the skates or any other things we have.
You can play with me,
I enjoy spending time with you, and I'm open to new experiences and adventures.
We can play all day,
Let's have a good time and make the most of our day.
You can use my dishes,
I'm willing to share my things with you, so we can both have a good meal or snack.
If you put them away.
However, we need to be responsible and take care of our belongings.
You can feed me apples,
Let's enjoy some healthy and delicious food together.
Oranges and Plum,.
Let's explore different flavors and textures of fruits.
You can even wash my face,
I trust you and feel comfortable with you, even for personal hygiene tasks.
But don't you push me down.
However, we need to respect each other's physical and emotional boundaries.
Don't you push me, push me, push me,
I don't want you to physically shove me, even if we're playing and having fun.
Don't you push me down.
Please don't make me fall or hurt me in any way, even accidentally.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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