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.
Miss the Mississippi and You
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
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Tired of the glamour and tired of the sights
In all my dreams I am roaming once more
Back to my home on the old river shore
I am sad and weary far away from home
Miss the Mississippi and you dear
Days are dark and dreary everywhere I roam
Roaming the wide world over
Always along and blue, so blue
Nothing seems to cheer me under heaven's dome
Miss the Mississippi and you
Memories are bringing happy days of yore
Miss the Mississippi and you
Mocking birds are singing 'round the cabin door
Miss the Mississippi and you
Roamin the wide world over
Always alone and blue
Longing form my homeland, muddy water shore
Miss the Mississippi and you
The lyrics to Arlo Guthrie's song "Miss the Mississippi and You" reflect a deep nostalgia and longing for a simpler life back home on the old river shore. The opening lines express a growing tiredness of the bright lights and glamour of the big city. The singer recalls dreaming of being back home by the Mississippi River. The second verse further emphasizes this sense of homesickness, describing the days as dark and dreary everywhere he goes.
The singer's loneliness is palpable in the chorus, as he sings of roaming the wide world over and always feeling blue. Despite trying to find happiness and solace under heaven's dome, nothing cheers him up like memories of the Mississippi River and his loved ones there. He recalls happy days of yore and the sound of mocking birds singing around the cabin door. The final verse once again emphasizes the singer's desire to return to his homeland and the muddy waters of the Mississippi.
Overall, this song expresses a deep sense of longing and nostalgia for a simpler life back home. The singer feels disconnected and lost in the big city, and finds solace only in memories of his past by the river.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm growing tired of the big city lights
I am getting weary of the bright city lights
Tired of the glamour and tired of the sights
I am fed up with all the superficiality and things to see
In all my dreams I am roaming once more
Every night, my subconscious longs to return to a place I once knew
Back to my home on the old river shore
Specifically, my childhood home by the muddy river bank
I am sad and weary far away from home
I am feeling unhappy and tired, since I am so far from home
Miss the Mississippi and you dear
I feel a deep yearning for that river and for someone important - in this case, probably a romantic partner, but it could also suggest friends and/or family members
Days are dark and dreary everywhere I roam
I perceive the places I visit as being bleak and unappealing
Roaming the wide world over
I am traveling all around the world
Always along and blue, so blue
Despite my journeys, I am always by myself and feeling sad
Nothing seems to cheer me under heaven's dome
Nothing brings me joy, even under the vast sky
Memories are bringing happy days of yore
My memories of the past are what make me happy
Mocking birds are singing 'round the cabin door
I still remember the sounds of nature from my old home, like the mockingbirds singing outside my window
Roamin the wide world over
I've been wandering around the globe for some time now
Always alone and blue
Despite certain experiences I may have had, I remain lonely and sad
Longing form my homeland, muddy water shore
I feel a deep desire to return to my native land by the muddy river bank
Writer(s): WILLIAM HEAGNEY P/K/A BILL HALEY
Contributed by Mackenzie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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