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.
When the Cactus is in Bloom
Arlo Guthrie Lyrics
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Cattle prowl and the coyotes howl
Out on the Great Divide
Never done no wrong, just singin' a song
As down the trail I ride
Rattle snakes rattle at the prairie dogs
'Cause it's round-up time, a-way out west
When the cactus is in bloom
Yodel...
CHORUS
Daylight comes and the cowhands yell
They call out every man
Throw my saddle on my old cow horse
I drink my coffee from a can
The sun goes down on the cattle trail
And I'm gazin' at the moon
'Cause it's round-up time, a-way out west
When the cactus is in bloom
Yodel . . .
Now we don't have cold weather
It never snows or rains
This is where the sun shines best
Out on the western plains
Some of the boys are gone away
But they will be back soon
'Cause it's round-up time, a-way out west
When the cactus is in bloom
Yodel...
CHORUS
The lyrics of Arlo Guthrie's song, When the Cactus is in Bloom, written by Jimmy Rodgers, depict the life of cowboys on the Great Divide during the round-up time in the West. The opening lines of the song introduce the listener to the cowboys' typical day, with cattle prowling and coyotes howling. Guthrie then follows with the singer's acknowledgment of his innocence and how he has done no harm, only riding and singing. The third and fourth lines combine to present the oft-heard tune of rattlesnakes and the mournful wail of prairie dogs that characterize the scenery of the West. It's at this point that Guthrie mentions the round-up time, which is the period when the cowboys herd their cattle and brand them. Even as the song progresses, Guthrie returns to the central theme of the round-up time, reflecting how busy cowhands are and noting their daily routines. The chorus is a reflection of the cowboys' lives, waking up early to saddle up their horses and drink coffee from a can, and then gazing at the moon while on the cattle trail.
The song captures the wild and free spirit of the West and showcases how the cowboys live their lives. Guthrie's masterful use of imagery and metaphor in the lyrics makes vivid descriptions in the minds of the listener. The song discusses the life of cowboys as they woke up early to start their daily chores, herding cattle in the hot sun, which was both tough and tedious. Guthrie also describes the loneliness that cowboys felt, sitting on their horses with some gone and awaited to return for the roundup time.
Line by Line Meaning
Cattle prowl and the coyotes howl
Cowboys work and wild animals roam on the Great Divide
Out on the Great Divide
Cowboys work and wild animals roam on the Great Divide
Never done no wrong, just singin' a song
Cowboys are innocent and enjoy singing as they work
As down the trail I ride
The cowboy is on horseback traveling the trail
Rattle snakes rattle at the prairie dogs
Prairie animals make noise when snakes are nearby
You can hear that mournful tune
The sound of rattlesnakes startles other animals
'Cause it's round-up time, a-way out west
It's time to round up cattle on the western plains
When the cactus is in bloom
The cactus blooming is a sign that it's time to round up cattle
Daylight comes and the cowhands yell
Cowhands wake up early on the cattle trail
They call out every man
Cowhands make sure everyone is ready to work
Throw my saddle on my old cow horse
The cowboy prepares his horse for the day's work
I drink my coffee from a can
Cowboys drink coffee from a can while on the trail
The sun goes down on the cattle trail
The day ends while cowboys are still working
And I'm gazin' at the moon
The cowboy looks at the moon while working on the trail
'Cause it's round-up time, a-way out west
It's time to round up cattle on the western plains
Now we don't have cold weather
The western plains have a warm climate
It never snows or rains
The weather is typically dry and sunny
This is where the sun shines best
The western plains are known for their sunny weather
Out on the western plains
The cowboy is on the western plains
Some of the boys are gone away
Some cowhands are temporarily absent from the trail
But they will be back soon
Absent cowhands will return to work soon
'Cause it's round-up time, a-way out west
It's time to round up cattle on the western plains
When the cactus is in bloom
The cactus blooming is a sign that it's time to round up cattle
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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