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.
Old Time Religion
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It's good enough for me.
We will pray with Aphrodite,
We will pray with Aphrodite,
She wears that see-through nightie,
We will pray with Zarathustra,
We'll pray just like we use ta,
I'm a Zarathustra booster,
And it's good enough for me.
We will pray with those Egyptians,
Build pyramids to put our crypts in,
Cover subways with inscriptions,
And it's good enough for me.
We will pray with those old druids,
They drink fermented fluids,
Waltzing naked though the woo-ids,
And it's good enough for me.
We do dances to bring water,
Prepare animals for slaughter,
Sacrifice our sons and daughters,
And it's good enough for me.
I'll arise at early morning,
When my Lord gives me the warning,
That the solar age is dawning,
And it's good enough for me
Arlo Guthrie's song "Old Time Religion" is a satirical take on the traditional Christian hymn of the same name. The lyrics suggest an openness to worshiping a variety of deities and engaging in alternative ritual practices, as long as it brings a sense of spiritual fulfillment to the individual. The repeated line "give me that old time religion" serves as a tongue-in-cheek reminder that the concept of religious tradition and authenticity is a constantly evolving one.
The verses reference various ancient religions and mythologies, with a lighthearted nod to their more absurd aspects. For example, the suggestion to pray with Aphrodite and her "see-through nightie" pokes fun at the sexualized depictions of Greek gods and goddesses. The reference to Zarathustra, an ancient Persian prophet and philosopher, is delivered with a playful emphasis on the words "Zarathustra booster." The inclusion of druidic and Egyptian practices, along with the mention of animal sacrifice, serve to highlight the often bizarre and violent aspects of ancient religions.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me that old time religion
I want to follow the traditional religious practices that my ancestors followed
It's good enough for me.
I am satisfied with the religious practices that I follow
We will pray with Aphrodite,
We will worship the Greek goddess Aphrodite who is known for her beauty and love
She wears that see-through nightie,
She is depicted wearing revealing clothing and that does not bother us
We will pray with Zarathustra,
We will worship Zarathustra who is a Persian prophet and philosopher
We'll pray just like we use ta,
We will worship in the same manner as we used to do before
I'm a Zarathustra booster,
I support the teachings of Zarathustra
We will pray with those Egyptians,
We will worship the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses
Build pyramids to put our crypts in,
We will build pyramids to serve as tombs for our dead
Cover subways with inscriptions,
We will write religious inscriptions on the walls of the subway tunnels
We will pray with those old druids,
We will follow the religious practices of the ancient Celtic druids
They drink fermented fluids,
They consume alcoholic beverages made from fermented ingredients
Waltzing naked though the woo-ids,
They perform a dance in the forests without clothes
We do dances to bring water,
We perform dances to request for rain
Prepare animals for slaughter,
We kill animals for religious rituals
Sacrifice our sons and daughters,
We offer our children as a sacrifice to the gods
I'll arise at early morning,
I will wake up early in the morning
When my Lord gives me the warning,
When I receive a sign from my Lord
That the solar age is dawning,
That a new era is beginning
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CISCO HOUSTON, WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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