Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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 a while
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
But 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 ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll 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?
Now, do you believe in rock 'n' roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' 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
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 rollin' 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
We were singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 fallin' 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 the 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 singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 the 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
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"
They were singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll be the day that I die"
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 a while
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
But 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 ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll 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?
Now, do you believe in rock 'n' roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' 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
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 rollin' 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
We were singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 fallin' 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 the 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 singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 the 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
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
And singin', "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 singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"
They were singin', bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll be the day that I die"
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
American Pie Lyrics as written by Don Mclean
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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ok, here we go:
A long time ago, im guessing when he was younger, the music of buddy holly and others was very influential to him. This music led him to want to be a musician and "make those people dance" and make the world happy with his music. But then, the Valens/Bopper/Holly plane crashed, hence the "bad news on the doorstep." he had to have been somewhat younger though "i cant remember if i cried when i read about his widowed bride." refers to Ritchie Valens, as he was to be married to Donna (i think) he then aptly named that day of the crash "the day the music died." the chorus sums up to their death and their loss of wanting to live "the american dream" he had wanted to be famous along with the bopper, his biggest influence, hence, "drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry" is a metaphor for making it big, yet his biggest influence was not there to see it. he may be refering to the three in the last part of the chorus, but i dont know for sure
the second verse i never really got into. but my interpretation is: a girlfriend (maybe) left him for someone else at their prom. he had an idea that he was probably not gonna become famous because of "the day the music died"
the third verse talks about the different artist that came up ten years after the plane crash. "moss grows fat on a rolling stone" means the Rolling Stones had become famous and accumulated "moss"(cash). Now the Jester to me could possibly be Bob Dylan, Elvis had to be the King and the Queen may be his wife. the "voice that came from you and me" in my mind relates to Bob Dylan because of his popular songs. plus, his songs were mellow and relaxing and to me seemed to relate to normal people. Now, it seems that "while the king was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown" means Bob Dylan became more famous than Elvis. John Lennon had gotten into Communism and the beatles sang songs about "Helter Skelter" and others that MAY HAVE been about death or dying.
"Helter Skelter in a summer swelter" refers to the actual Tate/LaBianca murders. While that was going on, the Byrds became popular. it refers to their song "eight miles high". "it" could refer to anything, but my view is the Pop Charts. (i could be wrong so please dont hound me). The 'players' being the Beatles trying to come back on top after Bob Dylan had the motorcycle wreck. The 'halftime air' meant during the middle of the 'hippie' ages marijuana was frequently used by alot of people. the 'sergeants' meaning the Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club". and we all wanted to love the beatles music, yet there was other bands trying to make a name for themselves.
"Lost in Space" was a hit tv show, but he could be refering to the advancement in technology throughout the years. now, i agree with some on his dislike for the Stones, so i will go ahead and say he refers to the song "Jumping Jack Flash" by the Stones. that part of the verse was solely intended to show his dislike of the Rolling Stones, implying Mick Jagger was "the devil's only friend". he implies in the next few lines about being enraged by a concert (maybe a Stones concert?) and i believe he talks about the Son of Sam and riots and whatnot.
The girl who sang the blues is Janis Joplin. He was hoping she could help bring happiness, "but she just smiled and turned away". The "Sacred Store" refers to a place he would go when he was younger to hear Buddy Holly's music. when he went back all these years later it had become something else. he may be refering to the plane crash again, due to his admiration for the three that died, i dont know, but i DO know that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is not JFK and Rob K. they were brothers, not Father and son. I do believe its Father=Bopper, Son=Valens, and Holy Ghost=Holly. "they caught that last train for the coast the day the music died" means they caught the ride to heaven.
this is a very beautiful song. i may be wrong in some parts, but i did no research and took this meaning straght out of my heart. if i am wrong in any part please feel free to correct me.
In the vein of Rolling Stones occupying a verse, perhaps "Play With Fire" and "Sympathy for the Devil" are the songs that inspired the line "'Cause fire is the devil's only friend." The following verse about flames climbing high into the night, apparently with Mic on stage, could be the Altamont Free Concert, which happened in 1969. <br /> <br /> Just my two cents.
yes but the secuerty for that concert was the Hell's Angles and then the killed some on
yes but the secuerty for that concert was the Hell's Angles and then the killed some on
@JoeCruzTKO <br /> <br /> Buddy Holly also was just married before the crash. The song overall is an ode to him so think that is another reference.
@JoeCruzTKO <br /> Jose, An excellent overall synopsis..Perhaps reconsider the last verse. I suggest it is about Billie Holiday..She died 5 months after Buddy Holly. Joplin's death was national news but very little was said about Holiday's death, hence "church bells broken". Also consider the structure of the song. The first and last verse have the same tempo. To conclude or bookend the song, Mclean is taking us back to the fifties where it all began.