97X Continues Thanksgiving Tradition Of Airing ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ In Its Entirety

This Thanksgiving, we here at 97X will continue the longstanding tradition of airing the classic by Arlo Guthrie, Alice's Restaurant. 

Though the start of the tradition has been lost to time in the 54 years of the station's history, 97X is proud to continue it.

The song was originally written as a deadpan protest against the Vietnam War draft, in the form of a long-winded story about an experience Guthrie had in Massachusetts.

While visiting some people in Massachussets, Guthrie was arrested for the illegal dumping of trash, which later would endanger his ability to be drafted. Through the 18-minute song, he details the story of visiting friends, getting arrested, going to jail, and being rehabbed.

Throughout the song, he refers to Alice's Restaurant in the hook;

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

Walk right in it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

Alice being Guthrie's friend Alice Brock - who sadly passed away last Friday, actually.

You can hear Alice's Restaurant in its entirety at noon on 97X, over the air and in our app.

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Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!