On Thanksgiving, at 12 Noon, Seacoast Oldies will air a Thanksgiving Classic, “Alice’s Restaurant!”
From Wikipedia: “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree“, commonly known as “Alice’s Restaurant“, is a satiricalĀ talking bluesĀ song by singer-songwriterĀ Arlo Guthrie, released as the title track to his 1967 debut albumĀ Alice’s Restaurant. The song is a deadpan protest against theĀ Vietnam War draft, in the form of a comically exaggerated but largely true story from Guthrie’s own life: while visiting acquaintances inĀ Stockbridge, Massachusetts, he is arrested and convicted of dumping trash illegally, which later endangers his suitability for theĀ military draft. The title refers to a restaurant owned by one of Guthrie’s friends, artistĀ Alice Brock. Although Brock is a minor character in the story, the restaurant plays no role in it aside from being the subject of the chorus and the impetus for Guthrie’s visit.
The song inspired the 1969 filmĀ Alice’s Restaurant, which starred Guthrie and tookĀ numerous liberties with the story. The work has become Guthrie’sĀ signature songĀ and he has periodically re-released it with updated lyrics. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in theĀ National Recording RegistryĀ by theĀ Library of CongressĀ as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant”.[3]
