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.
Face of Time
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Passing through me
As clouds before the moon
The great depths of the ocean
Barely take notice
Of wind upon the waters
Therefore I from the depths of my soul
Laugh at distractions
The shadows of clouds above
Played upon the faves of time
Arlo Guthrie's "Face of Time" is a introspective song about the fleeting nature of life and the world around us. The opening line, "This world is not my home," suggests that the singer feels a sense of detachment from the world they are passing through. They compare this passing through to clouds before the moon, emphasizing how temporary and ethereal their experience is. The singer goes on to describe how even the great depths of the ocean barely take notice of the wind upon the waters, just as the world barely takes notice of their passage through it.
Despite this sense of detachment, the singer finds comfort and amusement in music and in laughing at distractions. They are able to find joy in the moment, despite the transience of it all. The final line of the song, "The shadows of clouds above played upon the faces of time," is a beautiful metaphor that suggests how even the fleeting moments of our lives can leave impressions on our memories and on the world around us.
Overall, "Face of Time" is a poignant reflection on the impermanence of life and the importance of finding joy and beauty in the fleeting moments.
Line by Line Meaning
This world is not my home
I feel like I don't belong in this world.
Passing through me
It all seems to be happening around me, but not to me.
As clouds before the moon
Just as clouds pass over the moon and block its light, things in life can block my own light, which is my spirit.
The great depths of the ocean
The vastness of the ocean is a symbol for how insignificant my problems really are in the grand scheme of things.
Barely take notice
The ocean doesn't even seem to acknowledge me or my problems.
Of wind upon the waters
And the wind, which can stir up waves and turbulence, doesn't even have much effect on the calm of the ocean.
Therefore I from the depths of my soul
Realizing this makes me look deep within myself.
Laugh at distractions
I'm able to laugh at things that used to bother me.
Amusing myself with songs
I find joy in making music for myself, rather than trying to impress others or achieve fame and fortune.
The shadows of clouds above
Even the shadows created by clouds can be beautiful and interesting.
Played upon the faves of time
This beauty is fleeting, and constantly changing as time passes, just like the shadows of clouds dancing across the landscape.
Contributed by Austin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bob
on Ring-Around-A-Rosy Rag
What is represented by “ ring-around-a-rosy rag”? Is that a sexy act or a drug?