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.
Oh In The Morning
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel like the sun
Coming up on daytime
Shine on every one
Coming up on darkness
Warm me in your arms
Let me know another lonely night
Has come and gone
Oh, happy river flowing
Gently unto me
Softly bring me music
Listen to you sing
Swiftly running river flowing
We'll at last be free
Oh, happy waterwheel
Roll gently over me
Oh in the evening
Feel alone at last
All of the things that the daytime brings
Roll gently in the past
There is nothing left to see
Except the stars and moon
To let me know another lonely day
Is coming soon
Oh, in the morning
Feel like the sun
Coming up on daytime
Shine on everyone
Coming up on darkness
Warm me in your arms
Let me know another lonely night
Has come and gone
Arlo Guthrie's song “Oh in the Morning” speaks of an internal struggle with loneliness and the search for comfort during the different moments of the day. The song reflects on the fact that while the morning seems full of hope and possibility, the evening can be a lonely and dark place, and we all need someone to be with us during these times. The singer seems to be begging for the day to start so that he can be embraced by the warmth of the sun and forget about the melancholy that haunts him in the evening. He seeks solace in the gentle flow of a river, hoping it can bring him peace and relieve his sorrow.
Guthrie also reflects on the fleeting nature of time and how we all need someone to lean on during the tough times. While the singer seems to be alone during the day, he is hopeful that he won't be alone for the rest of his life. The last line of the song speaks to this hope: “Let me know another lonely night has come and gone.” Despite the sadness of the nighttime, there is always the possibility of something better coming in the morning. Overall, Guthrie's poetic lyrics mixed with his soothing voice create a heartfelt and encouraging song for anyone facing loneliness or darkness in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, in the morning
At the beginning of a new day, when the sun is just starting to rise
Feel like the sun
Feeling rejuvenated and full of energy like the warmth and brightness of the sun
Coming up on daytime
Referring to the sun rising and the start of a new day
Shine on every one
The sun's rays lighting up everything on earth and bringing happiness or positivity to people's lives
Coming up on darkness
The end of a day or a metaphor for facing difficult times ahead
Warm me in your arms
Being held by someone or something that brings comfort and warmth
Let me know another lonely night has come and gone
Acknowledging that time has passed and another lonely night has gone, and seeking reassurance that the world is still turning and moving forward
Oh, happy river flowing
The happiness and contentment that comes from the flow of a river
Gently unto me
With a soft and delicate touch or movement
Softly bring me music
The gentle sound of the flowing river acting as a calming and soothing music
Listen to you sing
Appreciating the sound and flow of the river as if it's singing a song
Swiftly running river flowing
Referring to the fast and energetic movement of the flow of the river
We'll at last be free
Feeling liberated and free like the flow of the river
Oh, happy waterwheel
The happiness and joy that comes from the waterwheel's movement
Roll gently over me
With a soft and gentle touch, provide comfort and allow the feeling of waterwheel's movement to pass over the person
Oh in the evening
At the end of the day when the sun is setting
Feel alone at last
Finally feeling the full weight of being alone after a day of being busy and occupied with other things
All of the things that the daytime brings
All the thoughts and feelings that arise during the day, including those that are pushed aside or forgotten in the midst of activity
Roll gently in the past
Memories of the day fade slowly and softly into the past
There is nothing left to see
All activity has ceased and there is nothing else to observe
Except the stars and moon
The final things visible in the night sky
To let me know another lonely day is coming soon
Reminded of the recurrence of lonely days and the inevitability of facing them in the future
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ARLO GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Dambrosio
Summer, 1971, the Dr. Pepper festival in Central Park, NYC. Sun's down, the crowd's exhausted from laughing and being silly, weather cooling down. Arlo takes to the piano for this song and the crowd stops breathing, pure silence from the audience, golden tones and words flowing off Arlo's stage. Those moments of serenity and peace will never be forgotten. Different days, different ways, different sounds, we've lost good ground.
Granolaho
The happiness shows all over the family here. I love that it is from earlier years. Jackie and Arlo and Abe are a happy new family and there's so much beauty in all of them. Arlo's mom is lovely as is her dad and I hope they lived their lives in happiness. Blessings to all of you and thanks for this magical version of the song plus video.
Steve Goddard
Ah, memories. I learned this song from the 'This Is the Arlo Guthrie' book and used to play it at gigs. Thanks, Arlo (and Jackie).
sodpoo
I can't get over Abe being a blondie!! I had tears in my eyes watching Arlo dressing him. Beautiful footage, Jackie. Your an amazing woman to share this with us! Thank You! *gushes*
Angela Red
What a really sweet video. Everyone looks so good! I always thought Arlo looked more like his mom!
sedonaskye
What an incredible video!! Thank you so much for posting this! Absolutely beautiful!!
Steve Chism
One of my favorites of Arlo's...lovely piano...lovely message...lovely thoughts..His daddy would be proud of this one..
The Addicted Prepper
Took me 51 years to finally hear this beautiful song, but I made it. Thank you!
Gina Gray
Same here, never heard it before. So beautiful 💜
nar_leoterra
Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much.