American Pie

Lyrics

American Pie by 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

Chorus 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 in Rye
Singing this will be the day that I die,
This will 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 that I was out of luck
The day the music died

I started singing

Chorus

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
In a voice that came from you and me

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 singing

Chorus

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
The Byrds flew off with a fall out 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 The Sargeants 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

Chorus

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 candle stick
Because 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

Chorus

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 them good old boys were drinking whiskey in Rye
Singin' this will 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
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey in Rye
Singing this will be the day that I die...

Significance

It is the last song played during all CTY dances, which places it on the list of High Holy Canon for nearly every site. This also includes Baby CTY, which does not always observe the same traditions as regular CTY.

Each site has different traditions/dances that go along with the song.

Saratoga Springs

• The first verse and last verse are sung in a giant circle.
• After the line "This will be the day that I die" every chants "Die, die, die, die. Live, live, live, live. Sex, sex, sex, sex. More, more, more, more."
• During the line "You both kicked off your shoes" everyone kicks off their shoes.
• Everyone screams at the line "And in the streets, the children screamed."

Siena

• The whole camp linking arms in a giant circle and swaying and kicking alternate feet during the first and last verses.
• Clapping hands once and then twice on the offbeats of the pre-choruses.
• Shaking fists at the line "[My hands were clenched in] fists of rage."
• Screaming after the line "And in the streets, the children screamed."
• Not chanting after "This will be the day that I die."

Outside Links

• The Annotated "American Pie" - explains the song and all its references
• Wikipedia's article on "American Pie"