To all the Alice fans everywhere: Please try to understand this open request to Arlo

I know I will probably get scorned for this, but it really is a simple request. I have had to leave my nine year old son home from attending the shows where "Alice" is sung. He is such a huge fan of you and Woody that I wanted him to see the legacy tour. I know he will ask questions regarding some lyrics in "Alice" that I don't think he is ready for yet, terms such as "father rap..., and k.ll, k.ll etc. Is there any chance, any way that you can somehow modify this at the Boone, NC show? I know that I am asking an artist to change something that is such a huge part of musical abnd pop culture history, but I think that other children may have the same questions. I know.. the easy answer is to leave them home. Anyway, I thought this was worth a try. Thanks for considering.

Okay, Arlo fans... I can take it. Start the verbal barrage. I still love all of you. Have a great summer everyone.

There have been 9 year olds coming to these gigs for 40 years. Bring the kid and let him tell you what he thinks it means. Might be good all around

I was clumbsy

try again

'm probably the wrong guy to say anything being an omnivore and everything and having helped get the flock of chickens ready in the fall as a small child.

You can't protect your kids from everything and it's better that your family discussses attempting to avoid military service by feigning mental illness and how some people try to hurt and dominate other people. You can't instill your values in your children without talking about all kinds of stuff with your children.

On the other hand, since you know when what-must-never-be-spoken is gonna be spoke, plug their ears.

(Aside: Are you new to folk music? Ever hear Appalachian Folk Songs? Be sure to watch out for Dink's Song.

kurt...

Kurt,
Thanks for the advice. I've been listening to folk music for years. I am familiar with what you speak. I thought it was worth a try. Petition can be good regardless of the context and purpose. I know I can't protect my kids from everything. I'm guessing, but may be wrong, that all parents have tried to protect their children at some point. Isn't that part of our responsibility. regardless of their age? Nine years old is different than 14 years old and comes with a different level of understanding, however. I know that I made a conscious decision to buy tickets for the show. I'm very excited that my kids will have an opportunity to see and hear a legend (Arlo) and some stories about one of their favorite singers of kid songs (My four year old asks to hear Woody music every time we get in the car. She loves "Sleepeye"). I feel very fortuntate to have first row seats at Appalachian State University for the show. Anyway, I appreciate your response. Go forward in good health.

Hey dja,as Arlo said kids have been have been to these gigs for years.In the end its up to you whether you bring the kids or not.Of course I,d say you should,in this day and age I,m sure they have heard and seen a lot more then we did at that age on tv ,radio and in books or the kids and people around them.Most kids even at 4 have a good understanding of right from wrong.So...bring em along.
You can bring it up yourself with them or wait for them but either way,like adg said its all good ...Enjoy the show and time with the family.

You have to do what you think is best. Kids are still innocent at 9 these days I hope.

Some folks think it best to not innoculate their kids. I suppose if you have enough money, you can seal your kids in a bubble and prevent disease by avoidance. But is that the best preparation for living life? What happens when the kid gets out of the bubble? Good thing I don't have to answer those questions. My daughters will one of these days. They both heard that song since they were born so maybe that's why it didn't change 'em, one way or the other. (My youngest prefers the revisited with the Watergate gap so they do notice versions and stuff.)

No, don't force your 9 year old to read Kirkagaard. But if they ever watched TV cartoons and read comic books, Alice's is pretty tame really.

kurt...

Hi, dja. I'm just wondering: does your kid ever watch the evening news? Surely by now he knows what rape and murder are... and with Alice, you'll get to explain what a key is

Really, I don't see anything at all to be concerned with. It's us, the parents, and our parents before us, who make mountains out of molehills. Let the kid enjoy the show. Mine have gone to see Arlo since they were infants! My 11 year old was Arlo's car-parker at The Church for several weekend revivals, has heard almost every Arlo song ever recorded (or played in person). If you don't make a big deal out of the words, your kid might not even notice. And if he does, so be it... explain it in terms you "think" he can understand.

Believe me, these days 6 year olds know more than we did at 16.

now seriously, when you stop to really consider it, what are you more worried about? A 9 year old hearing a folksinger tell a story while strummin' his gitar that includes some words (non obscene!) that are commonly heard on the evening news (which is a whole other discussion), that he may or may not even understand, but with everyone around him laughing at those words, will probably laugh along with the crowd... OR should you be more worried about an 11 year old CARPARKER!!!!

Have you ever seen an 11 year old park a car?????

Bring the kids! They'll ask questions if they need the information at their particular stage of maturity, and otherwise, it just goes over their heads as one of those adult things. On the other hand, they might have already had a good education on this from their friends, and they won't ask any questions. My kids heard Arlo's songs from birth, and Alice's was never an issue. There were a lot of things they didn't "get" until they were older. My daughter says there were a lot of things she didn't quite understand until she was a junior in high school, and that's okay. We didn't try to shelter her, and she knew she could ask questions and get a straight answer.
I once attended a song workshop at the Maryland Renaissance Fair; it was all bawdy songs. Kids were present,(including mine!) but the true meaning of the songs just went over the kid's heads...you really did need to be old enough to get all the double-entendre in the songs. Folk music is full of those kinds of songs...when they're singing about shrubbery and birds, there's an alternate meaning. And if you didn't have a clue, you might just think it was a nice song about nature, even though it was really about the birds and the bees.

Earlier this year was the first time I saw Arlo in concert and I learned about the pollination of life from him....Mom and Dad you lied!


Peace

Sue, while reading your post, I was reminded of the "children's song" Yankie Doodle Dandy... and with the girls be handy... I never questioned the words until I found out much, much later...

Arnie, weren't you there when Michael was parking cars? From what I've heard, he did a fine job... except I wasn't too pleased when he ran after Rick Robbins for double-parking "temporarily" one night. Michael came all the way in to the Church and told Rick he HAD TO move the car! And he meant it! Rick did as he was told.

I was probably a little younger than your kid when Alices came out. I remember hearing it on the radio & thought it was so funny. I never noticed any of the stuff your worried about. I never thought about what those meant. I remember being concerned that they would arrest big kids like Arlo when all they had done wsa help some old lady take her garbage. That's how the songs seemed to me back then...

It's been a tradition, for Arlo Fanatics, to leave during Alice's to have a bathroom break. But a think bathroom break, is cryptic for HAVING A SMOKE... Anyhow, I know the last time, I sat thru it, I enjoyed it, more than I thought I would... ( way better than solo at Furtherfest )

Anyhow, I think it's great, that Arlo took the word Faggot, outta the long winded ballad. That was offensive. But one has to think of the times we lived in back then. It was funny then, but not funny now.... Life is wierd. People change. I had some friends back in the day, that HATED Arlo Guthrie. Mostly due to their sexual orientation, that's the only reason that I could think of, that they didn't like the artist!

I guess you could say attitudes change over time. I've always been tolerant. But to be honest, the older I get, the more tolerant, or sometimes politically correct one is....

Enjoy the shows. Sounds like your kids would be scared outta the song about the crows.... ( I think he quit doing it, when he figured the kids weren't scared anymore. who knows?)

e.p. I was in Syracuse NY one time, and waiting outside a movie theater to watch Alien with S. Weaver, for a matinee... The first show came out, and this lady asks this big biker dude, MR> HOW COULD YOU BRING YOUR LITTLE GIRL ( probly 4 or 5 yrs old) to THAT MOVIE. And the biker dudes says, LADY< IT"S JUST A MOVIE...

I watched that movie... With added interest... After all, this lady seemed compelled, to harrass a big biker dude for bringin his lil daughter to this scary movie.... There was a WHOLE 5th ROW of 10 - 12 yr. old boys,,, it got to the part, where the little Alien pops outta the Space dudes stomach, I jumped 3 ft. outta my seat!!! Only to look over at the 5th row of 10 yr. olds, laughing they're asses off.....

Yes, times change/ Rb

I never went to the bathroom during Alices lol. I had no idea people did that during the song untikl I got on these boards lol...

I did once, and that's really what I did. No hanging around in the lobby with my friends. The line at the ladies' room door had been so long during the break, I never made it in, so I decided to tough it out and went back into the theater for the second set. Arlo started with "Alice", and I thought, "Oh, good! I can go to the bathroom now!" Whew! I was actually very grateful to Arlo for singing it that night.