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.

Lovesick Blues
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics

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I'm in love,
I'm in love,
I'm in love with a girl,
That's what's the matter with me
I'm in love,
I'm in love, with a beautiful girl,
But she don't give a darn about me
to make her love me I tried,

How I sighed and I cried
But she just refused
And ever since she's gone away,
I've got those lovesick blues

Got the feeling called the "blue hoo's,"
since my sweetie said "Good Bye"
Seems I don't know what to "Do Hoo"
All day long I sit and cry
That last long day we spent alone
I'm yearning for it yet
She thrilled me, filled me,
with a kind of lovin',
I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy"
Twas just a beautiful dream

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
I got so used to her somehow
But I'm no body's baby
Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome
and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's

Got the feeling called the "blue hoo's,"
since my sweetie said "Good Bye"
Seems I don't know what to "Do Hoo"
All day long I sit and cry
That last long day we spent alone
I'm yearning for it yet
She thrilled me, filled me,
with a kind of lovin',
I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy
Twas just a beautiful dream

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
i got so used to her somehow
But I'm no body's baby

Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome
and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's

Overall Meaning

The concept of love and rejection is apparent in the lyrics of Arlo Guthrie's song Lovesick Blues. The singer introduces himself as someone who is deeply in love with a girl who does not reciprocate his feelings, and it leaves him feeling heartbroken. He acknowledges that he has tried various ways to win her love, but his efforts remain fruitless. Since the girl has gone, he cannot seem to get rid of the longing he has for her, and as a result, he is left with lovesick blues.

The phrase 'blue hoo's' figuratively means loneliness, sorrow, and depression, and the singer uses it to describe how he feels since his sweetheart said goodbye. He cannot seem to shake off the feeling of loneliness as he sits and cries all day, longing to be back in the arms of his lover. He describes the thrilling experience he had with his sweetheart and how she used to affectionately call him 'sweet daddy.' Sadly, the memory of what they had together seems like a beautiful dream that he cannot have again, and it continues to torment him. The song captures the pain of unrequited love and how it can leave someone feeling lost and lovesick.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm in love,
I have developed romantic feelings for someone.

I'm in love with a girl,
The person I have developed romantic feelings for is a female.

That's what's the matter with me
My current emotional state can be attributed to my romantic feelings for this girl.

I'm in love,
I have developed romantic feelings for someone.

I'm in love, with a beautiful girl,
The person I have developed romantic feelings for is someone I find physically attractive.

But she don't give a darn about me
The person I have developed romantic feelings for does not reciprocate those feelings.

To make her love me I tried,
I made efforts to get the person I have developed romantic feelings for to reciprocate those feelings.

How I sighed and I cried
I expressed my emotional turmoil over the unrequited nature of my romantic feelings.

But she just refused
Despite my efforts, the person I have developed romantic feelings for still does not reciprocate those feelings.

And ever since she's gone away,
The person I have developed romantic feelings for is no longer in my presence.

I've got those lovesick blues
I am currently feeling the pain and sadness associated with unrequited romantic feelings.

Got the feeling called the "blue hoo's,"
I am experiencing a negative emotional state that is often referred to as the "blues."

since my sweetie said "Good Bye"
My current negative emotional state can be attributed to a recent breakup with someone I affectionately refer to as "sweetie."

Seems I don't know what to "Do Hoo"
I am unsure of how to move forward with my life following the breakup with my "sweetie."

All day long I sit and cry
I spend much of my time feeling emotional pain and expressing that pain through tears.

That last long day we spent alone
I am reminiscing about a particular day that I spent alone with my "sweetie."

I'm yearning for it yet
I have a strong desire to re-experience the positive emotions associated with the day I spent alone with my "sweetie."

She thrilled me, filled me,
My "sweetie" provided me with a thrilling and fulfilling experience.

with a kind of lovin',
The positive experience I had with my "sweetie" was due to the love and affection they showed me.

I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy"
One memory that particularly stands out from my experience with my "sweetie" is the way they affectionately referred to me.

Twas just a beautiful dream
The positive experience I had with my "sweetie" now feels like a distant and unattainable dream.

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
The realization that my relationship with my "sweetie" is over is causing me great emotional pain.

I got so used to her somehow
I became emotionally attached to my "sweetie" and am now struggling with their absence.

But I'm no body's baby
Despite my emotional attachment to my "sweetie," I no longer have the feeling of being "claimed" by someone.

Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome
Being without the presence of someone you love can be a very difficult experience.

and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's
The sadness and pain I am experiencing due to unrequited love is often referred to as "the blues."

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Cliff Friend, Irving Mills

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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