Arlo Guthrie is Woody Guthrie's son; Arlo was very popular in 1960's hippie… Read Full Bio ↴Arlo Guthrie is Woody Guthrie's son; Arlo was very popular in 1960's hippie communities for his lyrics, always looking for fun, chronicling the values of the day, sample verbiage "You can get everything you want in Alice's Restaurant" And Alice's Restaurant was also a movie as well as an album, Arlo Guthrie made the music for the film, devised it and featured in it. Woody Guthrie, obviously performing a generation earlier, was a folk-singer, singing solo songs to speak out for his fellow downtrodden Americans, as well as working children's songs, just using acoustic guitar, while Arlo had occasional, collaborating backgound musicians, such was the communal zeitgeist, adding to his sound and his much-acclaimed 1960's public stance.

Jacob
Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher

Brothers, sisters, all

We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are dancing Sarah's circle
Sisters, brothers, all

Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Sisters, brothers, all

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Overall Meaning

The song "Jacob's Ladder" by Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger is a traditional folk hymn that has been passed down for generations. The lyrics refer to the biblical story of Jacob dreaming of a ladder that reaches from earth to heaven. In the song, the ladder serves as a metaphor for progress and spiritual ascension, and the repetition of the phrase "we are climbing Jacob's ladder" emphasizes the idea of continuous upward movement towards a higher power.

The song speaks to the idea of unity and inclusivity, as the repeated use of the phrases "brothers, sisters, all" and "sisters, brothers, all" highlights the idea of collective effort and shared experience. The verse about "dancing Sarah's circle" refers to an African-American spiritual tradition called "ring shout," which involved people forming a circle and moving in a counterclockwise motion while singing and clapping. The reference to Sarah in the verse may be a nod to Sarah Campbell, a well-known ring shout dancer from the Gullah community in South Carolina.

Overall, the message of the song is one of hope and perseverance, encouraging listeners to keep climbing and striving towards a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Line by Line Meaning

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are making progress in life in a way that is similar to the biblical story of Jacob's vision of a ladder reaching up to heaven

Every rung goes higher and higher
Every step we take in this journey towards enlightenment gets us closer to a greater understanding

Brothers, sisters, all
This journey is one that we undertake together, united and inclusive

We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are engaging in a celebratory dance honoring the biblical figure, Sarah, and her contribution to the lineage of humankind

Every round a generation
Each movement in the circle represents the passing of time and the continuation of our shared history from one generation to the next

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JAMES J. COVELL, DP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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