Bye bye miss American Pie

Thought it was spelled Lenin.

'and while Lenin read a book of Marx, the quartet practiced in the park, and we sang durges in the dark, the day...the music died'

 

...and while the King was looking down, the Jester stole his party crown....

 

Lenin is correct. If we're going to get into what the lyrics mean, we might as well know what they are:


'American Pie' lyrics. © Don McLean.


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

{Refrain}
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And them good old 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
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'
{Refrain}

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 Lenin read a book of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died



We were singing
{Refrain}

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul out 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 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 singing
{Refrain}

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
{Refrain}

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 woudn'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
{Refrain}

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
Singin' this'll be the day that I die

American Pie was recorded at The Record Plant, New York, May-June 1971

Engineered by Tom Flye
Strings arranged by Ed Freeman
Concertmaster: Gene Orloff
Don McLean - guitar, banjo and vocals
Robbie Rothstein - bass
Roy Markowitz - drums, percussion
Ray Colcord - electric piano
Mike Mainieri - marimba, vibes
Tom Flye - drums ("The Grave")
Paul Griffin - piano ("American Pie")
David Spinoza - electric guitar ("American Pie")
Written by Don McLean
Produced by Ed Freeman
©Don McLean. All Rights Reserved

 

I thought Madonna wrote that song...

 

No, Don Mclean wrote it... Madonna was just hte first to record it.

 

oh...my...god

 

to tell the truth one of the sites I visited said that McLean would not issue lyrics for this and other reasons. He also won't comment on the song's meaning.

 

omg! is that chandler's ex girl friend?

the one that laughed funny? omg! she was david duchovny's ex! magnus, that is too funny!!!

madonna sang this song of don mcleans? didnt know that...did she do justice to it?

 

That's pretty funny...especially considering that the link includes a folder named bilder

 

Got it from here. Looks legit enough:

http://www.don-mclean.com