On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. Though most of the States don’t actually take the day off, most do recognize it as a day of official recognition. It is recognised that the recognition and history of Columbus is controversial, and a discussion may be in order. But this isn’t intended to be the best place for that.
For some States, Columbus Day can be a fairly big ordeal. In others, they don’t even give the kids a day off and the State offices remain open. It’s on the list of Federal Holidays but not everyone gets to take the day off!
Because of the whimsical nature of the way the holiday is celebrated, we thought we’d bring you something different. There aren’t actually a whole lot of songs that have to do with Columbus Day, but we have one that you may not be familiar with and may enjoy learning about.
You can listen, and I’ll tell you about the artist and song!
The full name of this song is a mouthful. It is The Story of Reuben Clamzo and His Strange Daughter in the Key of A. The artist’s name is Arlo Guthrie, and you may know him from his Alice’s Restaurant. This song was first released in 1978 on the Rehashed 4:20 Sampler album.
You may also know his father, Woody Guthrie – one of the most distinguished figures in American Folk music. If you aren’t aware that you know him, he’s the author of the famous song This Land is Your Land.
One of the things that makes that song remarkable is that Woody chose to place the song into the public trust, by releasing it into the public domain and relinquishing all of his ownership rights. It has since gone on to be covered by many people and has historically been quite popular.
Arlo Guthrie was born on July 10, 1947. He was actually born in New York, but has mostly made Massachusetts his home for most of his adult life. His song Massachusetts is officially recognized as the State Folk Song.
Arlo is best known for writing about his life and observations, often in the form of some protest, though with a touch of satire and humor. You can tell that he was heavily influenced by his father and his father’s friends.
If you’re familiar with the Alice’s Restaurant song, you should know that that’s more-or-less truthful, including his bout with the law and their attempt to draft him for Vietnam. What you may not know is that the little catchy chorus was actually a radio jingle/commercial for a restaurant that was, in fact, known as Alice’s Restaurant.
Either way, this song is a mix of absurdity and humor. It’s whimsical, just like the varied ways the States of the Union celebrate the holiday. It’s a fun little diddy that you’re quite unlikely to know and this is an excellent day to share it with you.
If you’re interested in learning more about Arlo, you can click the above link to the Wikipedia article. He has a lot more than just Alice’s Restaurant. He has other many other gems, ranging from songs about drug laws to experiencing the American Midwest. On top of that, you can also see him in concert, as he’s still performing.
We here at MFU would like to thank you for your patronage and hope you have a safe and happy Columbus Day.
Visits: 49