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.
Highway in the Wind
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
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That has no end
Swept along the open road
That don't seem to begin
Come with me a love me, Babe
I may be back again
Meantime I'll keep sailing down
This highway in the wind
Evenings just begin the days
And follows with the night
To love you and to be with you
And say that it's all right
Love me while you have me, Babe
I may be back again
Meantime I'll keep sailing down
This highway in the wind
There's times I feel like going
And there's times I want to stay
Times that I ain't feeling well
And times I feel ok
Now you have time to love me, Babe
And I may have time agian
Meantime I'll keep sailing down
This highway in the wind
The fortune teller tells me
I have somewhere to go
I look and try to understand
And wonder how she knows
So I must be going now
I'm losing time my friend
Looking for a rainbow
Down this highway in the wind
The lyrics to Arlo Guthrie's "Highway in the Wind" reflect a sense of adventure, uncertainty, and love. The first stanza is an invitation to someone to come on a journey with the singer, though it's unknown where that journey might take them. The line "swept along the open road that don't seem to begin" suggests that they are embarking on something vast and new. The singer acknowledges that he may not always be around, yet still expresses a desire for love while he is here. The second verse conveys the fleeting nature of time and the need to appreciate the present moment. Love is again the focus, and the singer urges his lover to take advantage of the time they have together. The final stanza seems to suggest that the singer is leaving on this adventure because he has been told to by a psychic- the imagery of looking for a rainbow at the end of the journey reinforces the idea that there is something worthwhile waiting for him if he just keeps going. Overall, the song captures a sense of restlessness and the need for something more - the singer may not know where he's headed, but he's committed to finding out.
Line by Line Meaning
Sail with me into the unknown void
Let's embark on a journey, into the mysterious and unknown with no defined destination
That has no end
This adventure will have no limits, and it will only end when we choose to stop
Swept along the open road
We will travel down the unpredictable road of life, with no specific path or direction
That don't seem to begin
There are no clear starting points in life, it's a continuous journey that must be taken one step at a time
Come with me a love me, Babe
I want you to join me on this journey, and love me every step of the way
I may be back again
I may wander off and return, but my love for you will remain unchanged
Meantime I'll keep sailing down
For now, I'll keep moving forward, experiencing new things, and learning about myself and the world
This highway in the wind
This journey is unpredictable and can change its course at any moment, just like the wind blows in every direction
Evenings just begin the days
Every day starts with the evening and ends with the night, but every moment we're together will feel like a new beginning
And follows with the night
The darkness may follow, but it won't last forever when I'm with you
To love you and to be with you
My desire is to be with you and to love you, no matter where our journey takes us
And say that it's all right
Even when things get tough, I'll remind you that everything will be okay as long as we're together
Love me while you have me, Babe
Our time together is precious, and it's important to cherish every moment and show me your love while you still have me
And I may have time again
I may have to leave and come back, but I'll always make time for you when I can
There's times I feel like going
At times, I feel the need to keep moving forward and experiencing new things
And there's times I want to stay
Other times, I may feel the need to rest and spend time with you
Times that I ain't feeling well
There may be moments when I'm not feeling my best, but I'll continue to push forward
And times I feel ok
But there will also be times when I feel great and excited about the future
Now you have time to love me, Babe
This is the moment to show me your affection and love, while we still have time together
So I must be going now
Unfortunately, I must continue on my journey and leave you behind for a while
I'm losing time my friend
Time is fleeting, and I don't want to miss out on any experiences that life has to offer
Looking for a rainbow
I'm searching for a sense of hope and positivity, something beautiful and meaningful to guide me on my journey
Down this highway in the wind
I'll keep moving, taking on new challenges, and experiencing everything that life has to offer, no matter where the wind takes me
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ARLO GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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