Lyrics Language: English Song writer/composer(s): Don Mclean
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Don McLeanAmerican Pie Lyrics:
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 old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing 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 and 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 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 singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And 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 Lenin 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 singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And 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
Landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half time 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
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And 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 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 singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And 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
Them 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
They were singing, bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
The lyrics on the most recent version are sanctioned by the composer, or owner of the rights to the lyrics, however, there may be lyrics that are more complete on the prior version(s) that have been submitted by a contributor to mp3lyrics.org
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Don McLean American Pie Lyrics Information:
"AMERICAN PIE" 1
Written by: Don McLean
Produced by: Ed Freeman
Performed by: Don McLean 23
First released: 4
Single: October 1971 (Running time: Side 1 - 4:11, side 2 - 4:31)
Single: Reissued November 1971
Album: October 1971 (Running time: 8:33)
1 "American Pie" was a #1 U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972. A re-release in 1991
did not chart in the U.S., but reached number 12 in the UK. The importance of
"American Pie" to America's musical and cultural heritage was recognized by the
Songs of the Century education project, which listed the song as the #5 song of
the twentieth century. Some Top 40 stations initially played only side two of
the single, but the song's popularity eventually forced stations to play the
entire piece. "American Pie" has been entered in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and
McLean has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame.
2 Famed for, and ultimately defined by, his perennial "American Pie,"
singer/songwriter Don McLean was born October 2, 1945, in New Rochelle, NY.
After getting his start in the folk clubs of New York City during the mid-'60s,
McLean struggled for a number of years, building a small following through his
work with Pete Seeger on the Clearwater, a sloop that sailed up and down the
eastern seaboard to promote environmental causes. In 1971, United Artists
offered McLean a contract after hearing "American Pie," the elegiac
eight-and-a-half-minute, folk-pop epic inspired by the tragic death of Buddy
Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash in
1959. The song would popularize the expression, "The Day the Music Died," in
reference to this event. McLean has stated that the lyrics are also somewhat
autobiographical and present an abstract story of his life from the mid-1950s
until the time he wrote the song in the late 1960s.
3 Covered by:
BB Band,
The Brady Bunch,
Catch 22,
The Countdown Mix Masters,
Rick Devin,
The Drones,
Fickle Pickle,
The Hit Crew,
Richard "Groove" Holmes,
In-Deep,
Nick Ingman,
Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers,
Just Luis,
Killdozer,
Mad Project,
Madonna,
Adam Marano,
Ron McGreen,
Mott the Hoople,
The Mysterious Girl,
One by One,
Gerd Rube,
Nina Simone,
The Soundalikes,
Mike Toppins,
Valerie,
Kenny Vehkavaara,
The Ventures,
Who's That Girl,
et al.
An interesting side note is country singer, Garth Brooks, sang this song during
concerts in the early to mid 1990s. During his "Live in Central Park" concert,
he performed this song as a duet with McLean himself. The audience, of over
100,000 people, was also invited to sing the chorus near the end of the song. He
also covered the song during Barack Obama's "We Are One" inauguration
celebration.
