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.
Somebody Turned on the Light
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went there in a storm
My boots were Texas leather
My Levis wet and torn
I loved it in Montana
Loved it in the storm
I think I'm gonna cross that river
New York, New York, winter, '61
Takin' me a city ride
Somebody tall musta put out the lights
'Cause it got real dark outside
[Chorus:]
And I never saw the sun till '71
But I never gave up the fight
I sure was glad when I saw the dawn
Somebody, somebody turned on the light
Somebody turned on the light
Women, wine, and fast red cars
And I couldn't seem to read the signs
Somebody said, "Whose life is this?"
And I said that it can't be mine
[Chorus]
When the world is wrong, better right yourself
It'll make the dark clouds fly
Nobody tall can put out the lights
Just don't let the spirit die
If you never see the sun till '91
Don't you ever give up the fight
Sure be glad when you see the dawn
Somebody, somebody turns on the light
Somebody turns on the light
The song "Somebody Turned on the Light" by Arlo Guthrie is a powerful depiction of a person's journey through life's ups and downs. In the first verse, the singer describes the rugged terrain of Montana and the challenges he faced while traveling there. Despite the harsh conditions, the singer feels a sense of rebirth and renewal with the possibility of crossing a figurative river and being reborn. The second verse contrasts the roughness of Montana with the urbanity of New York in the winter of 1961. The singer notes how someone must have turned off the lights, plunging the city into darkness, symbolizing the singer's own feelings of being lost and alone.
The chorus of the song highlights the theme of hope and perseverance. The singer acknowledges that there were times in his life when he felt like he would never see the light, but he never gave up the fight. The singer encourages listeners to keep going and to not let the spirit die. The final verse brings the song to its conclusion, emphasizing the idea that even in the darkest times, it's important to keep moving forward, and eventually, someone will turn on the light.
Overall, "Somebody Turned on the Light" is a poignant song that expresses the universal struggle of trying to find one's place in the world. It speaks to the idea that while life can be difficult, there is always hope if we keep pushing forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been to wild Montana
I visited the wilds of Montana
I went there in a storm
My visit was during a storm
My boots were Texas leather
My boots were made of Texas leather
My Levis wet and torn
My Levis were wet and torn
I loved it in Montana
I enjoyed my time in Montana
Loved it in the storm
I enjoyed myself even during the storm
I think I'm gonna cross that river
I'm considering crossing a river
I just might be reborn
And this experience could transform me
New York, New York, winter, '61
I was in New York City in winter of 1961
Takin' me a city ride
I was driving around the city
Somebody tall musta put out the lights
The darkness seemingly came from someone tall turning off the lights
'Cause it got real dark outside
As a result, it got very dark outside
And I never saw the sun till '71
I didn't see sunlight until 1971
But I never gave up the fight
But I never lost hope or stopped trying
I sure was glad when I saw the dawn
I was very happy to see the sunrise
Somebody, somebody turned on the light
Someone eventually turned the lights back on
Women, wine, and fast red cars
I was indulging in women, wine, and fast red cars
And I couldn't seem to read the signs
I was struggling to navigate through life
Somebody said, 'Whose life is this?'
Someone asked me whose life I was living
And I said that it can't be mine
I responded with disbelief that it was my life
When the world is wrong, better right yourself
When the world seems wrong, it's important to focus on bettering oneself
It'll make the dark clouds fly
This can help clear away the metaphorical dark clouds
Nobody tall can put out the lights
No one has the power to take away one's inner light
Just don't let the spirit die
One should always keep their spirit alive
If you never see the sun till '91
If it takes until 1991 to see the sun
Don't you ever give up the fight
One should never give up hope or stop trying
Sure be glad when you see the dawn
You'll definitely be happy to finally see the sunrise
Somebody, somebody turns on the light
Eventually, someone will turn the lights back on and bring light to your life again
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HOYT AXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bob
on Ring-Around-A-Rosy Rag
What is represented by “ ring-around-a-rosy rag”? Is that a sexy act or a drug?