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.
Wheel Of Fortune
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
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Rolling, wheeling like I'm feeling
Everything's gonna carry on
You go your way, I'm going my way
We will come and so be gone
Wheel of fortune, turn for me now
Turn to trouble in the West
Wait to put my mind to rest
[CHORUS:]
Hey, Ezekiel, you can leave now
You got to go or stay so long
While your wheels just keep turning
Turn to rhythm right and wrong
[CHORUS:]
Wheel of fortune, turn for me now
Turn to trouble in the West
Wheels of completion rolling
Wait to put my mind at rest
The song "Wheel of Fortune" by Arlo Guthrie is a reflection on the cyclical nature of life, represented by the recurring image of the wheel. The chorus, "Rolling, wheeling like I'm feeling, everything's gonna carry on," suggests a sense of inevitability and momentum, as if the wheel of fortune is constantly turning and carrying us forward. The lines "You go your way, I'm going my way, we will come and so be gone" speak to the transience of life and the idea that we are all simply passing through.
The main focus of the song is on the "wheel of fortune," a symbol that has been used throughout history to represent the ups and downs of life. The lines "Wheel of fortune, turn for me now, turn to trouble in the West, wheels of completion rolling, wait to put my mind to rest" suggest that the wheel has turned towards trouble, but that completion and rest will come eventually. The reference to the West may be a nod to the Wild West and the idea of the frontier as a place of danger and uncertainty.
The song also features a reference to Ezekiel, a prophet from the Hebrew Scriptures. The line "Hey, Ezekiel, you can leave now, you got to go or stay so long, while your wheels just keep turning, turn to rhythm right and wrong" suggests that even the prophets are subject to the wheel of fortune, and that we are all just trying to find our rhythm in life, figuring out what is right and wrong as we go along.
Overall, "Wheel of Fortune" is a meditative song that invites the listener to reflect on the nature of life and the inevitability of change.
Line by Line Meaning
Rolling, wheeling like I'm feeling
I'm moving forward in life, like a wheel rolling, and feeling optimistic about the future.
Everything's gonna carry on
The future is uncertain, but life will continue to move forward regardless.
You go your way, I'm going my way
We each have our own path to follow in life, and we must do what is right for ourselves.
We will come and so be gone
Life is short and we are only here for a brief time, so we must make the most of it.
Wheel of fortune, turn for me now
Life is unpredictable and can change at any moment, so I am asking for some luck and positivity.
Turn to trouble in the West
Fortune can sometimes bring challenges and difficulties, but I am ready to face them head on.
Wheels of completion rolling
Life is a journey and the wheels of time are always turning, bringing us closer to the end of our journey.
Wait to put my mind to rest
I hope that by the end of my life's journey, I will find peace and contentment knowing that I did my best.
Hey, Ezekiel, you can leave now
A reference to a biblical figure, possibly representing the end of something or someone's departure from my life.
You got to go or stay so long
Life is full of changes and departures, and we must learn to accept them even if they are difficult.
While your wheels just keep turning
Life goes on even after someone leaves, and the wheels of time keep turning regardless.
Turn to rhythm right and wrong
Sometimes life is like a dance with both good and bad moments, and we must learn to find balance and rhythm in it all.
Wait to put my mind at rest
Despite the ups and downs of life, I hope to find peace and closure by the end of my journey.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ARLO GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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