https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/alices-restaurant-the-original-1967-legendary-recording-and-its-great-impact/
Alice’s Restaurant – The Original 1967 Legendary Recording
The “Alice’s Restaurant” story, from Arlo Guthrie’s song, is about the musician and his friend illegally dumping garbage on Thanksgiving 1965, leading to their arrest and conviction.
A year later, this criminal record ironically makes him ineligible for the Vietnam War draft, a central theme of the satirical anti-war protest song. The story is based on real events but is hilariously, comically exaggerated, and the song’s chorus, “You can get anything you want at Alice’s restaurant,” is a nonsensical but memorable line that plays no literal role in the plot.
The song’s lasting impact: “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” became a signature song for Guthrie and a folk anthem for the counterculture movement and its anti-war themes. The story was also the basis for a 1969 film of the same name.
Folk singer Arlo Guthrie endorsed Ron Paul for President during his 2008 Republican primary campaign. Guthrie praised Paul as the only candidate who seemed to believe the U.S. Constitution was still relevant.
Guthrie’s endorsement was notable because his father was the legendary folk artist Woody Guthrie, a well-known communist and activist. Arlo Guthrie explained his support and registration as a Republican at the time:
“I love this guy. Dr. Paul is the only candidate I know of who would have signed the Constitution of The United States had he been there. I’m with him, because he seems to be the only candidate who actually believes it has as much relevance today as it did a couple of hundred years ago.”
Guthrie also stated around that time that he registered as a Republican to encourage more common sense within the party, noting, “To have a successful democracy, you have to have at least two parties, and one of them was failing miserably”.
3:33 pm on November 30, 2025
