A long, long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for awhile
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
So
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this will be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the Book of Love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you tell me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin'
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lennon read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
And we were singing
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singing
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So, come on, Jack, be nimble, Jack, be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is a devil's only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin'
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
~ Don McLean
Phew! Yes, I typed in all those lyrics! Although I cannot verify this, some Internet googling tells me that the 8 minute and 32 second version of "American Pie" was released on this day in 1971. But that was not the day the music died. That day, according to Don McLean, was February 3, 1959, the day Buddy Holly died. As he tells it, he read about the plane crash that claimed Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper when he was delivering newspapers and read it on the front page. Thinking back on these memories, he wrote the song when he was 26. Fame, as it turned out, was difficult for him.
I remember well, when the song came out, how we tried to decipher all the references in the song. It was reminiscent of the "Paul Is Dead" fiasco in 1969. Minus the advantage of Google, we were giddy over the opportunity to figure things out on our own. It was mysterious, it was compelling, and it was just a little bit creepy. In regard to "American Pie," it was easy to pick out the references to Bob Dylan (the jester), Elvis (the King), The Beatles (Sergeants), The Rolling Stones (at Altamont), and Janis. We were still unclear as to the meaning of the Chevy and the levee, but we figured out enough to allow us a certain smugness in being on top of things.
The religious references were a little bit harder to swallow. What did religion have to do with rock and roll? Well, apparently, Don McLean knew something we didn't, as he turned away from rock and roll and embraced religion fully, post-"American Pie." To each his own.
And the music did not die. Rock and roll is still alive and well, although one may have to wade through rap and hip-hop and all kinds of other diversions to find the music that still has the power to rock your boat. I do that every day. Do you?
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
~ Don McLean
Phew! Yes, I typed in all those lyrics! Although I cannot verify this, some Internet googling tells me that the 8 minute and 32 second version of "American Pie" was released on this day in 1971. But that was not the day the music died. That day, according to Don McLean, was February 3, 1959, the day Buddy Holly died. As he tells it, he read about the plane crash that claimed Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper when he was delivering newspapers and read it on the front page. Thinking back on these memories, he wrote the song when he was 26. Fame, as it turned out, was difficult for him.
I remember well, when the song came out, how we tried to decipher all the references in the song. It was reminiscent of the "Paul Is Dead" fiasco in 1969. Minus the advantage of Google, we were giddy over the opportunity to figure things out on our own. It was mysterious, it was compelling, and it was just a little bit creepy. In regard to "American Pie," it was easy to pick out the references to Bob Dylan (the jester), Elvis (the King), The Beatles (Sergeants), The Rolling Stones (at Altamont), and Janis. We were still unclear as to the meaning of the Chevy and the levee, but we figured out enough to allow us a certain smugness in being on top of things.
The religious references were a little bit harder to swallow. What did religion have to do with rock and roll? Well, apparently, Don McLean knew something we didn't, as he turned away from rock and roll and embraced religion fully, post-"American Pie." To each his own.
And the music did not die. Rock and roll is still alive and well, although one may have to wade through rap and hip-hop and all kinds of other diversions to find the music that still has the power to rock your boat. I do that every day. Do you?
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