On February 3rd 2024 it has been 65 years since that tragic day we LOST BUDDY HOLLY, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Yet their music still Rocks to this very DAY! Thank You Don McLean for this awesome Tribute to the entire Rock & Roll Industry. Rock On!
@@finallife87 True, though the tragedy is that were taken from us in their prime. Buddy Holly was only 22 when the crash happened. Who knows what he would've been able to do if he had more time.
I was just thinking that when I die, I will be leaving in the company of other people of my time, this time. The time of the greatest music. We will have a lot to share, so it will be nice.
My father died 40 minutes ago. My Oldest memory with him was dancing to this song, that was the happiest I remember him being. The smile on his face... In his later life it was very rare that you saw him smile. Fuck Cancer.
The family met today in my granny's house, and we ended up sharing stories and talking about the kind of support we've gotten from people learning of his death. I always knew he had friends from every walk of life, but there were people sending their condolences from everywhere, even retail workers in shops he frequented and chemists learned of his death and contacted us. Teachers from educational facilities he hadn't learned at in 25+ years too. I've been placed in charge of making a playlist of music that he would have liked to play before he's cremated and this song will definitely be on it.
My 60 year old daughter's funeral was two days ago. She was special. She had planned every segment of her 'Celebration of Life'. The funeral home could not seat everyone as people just kept coming in. She had been fighting cancer for eight years and she never gave up. Her faith and her positive attitude kept her going. But her body finally ran out of steam. The last song she requested and asked people to join in was American Pie. Everyone, including this 86 year old Mom sang. There was not a dry eye in the place. I told you she was special.
Very moving about your brave daughter...tears in my eyes. I don't think the repeated line, "the day the music died" totally applies to her though. It's clear the music in your heart for your daughter is still very alive and will always play❤. Take good care.
My granddaughter came in my room singing this! Sure brought back great memories from my high school days. 50+ yrs difference between us & we both have great taste! ❤
@@michaelmoslak2975 my father passed in 2018 and I often think about how disappointed he was in the decline of America. He never got over it and I often think about him when I listen to The Statler Brothers song " Do you remember these". I am glad he didn't have to endure covid or the insanity of the last couple of years. Let's try to Make America Great Again for my father and all our past generations that gave everything for this country.
This song seems to hold a special place for many people... and rightly so... So for everyone: May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. This traditional Irish blessing is an ancient Celtic prayer.
I'd heard this before and looked for it, but never didn't know where nor what I was really looking for. Thank you very much for bringing this to us. God's blessings be on thee as well.
"Did you write the book of love?" - these words are the words of such a pure and beautiful depth in love and gift wrapped in the most poetry! Together with book, we all learn how to love. The love of the book of love is the love of learning how to love everything
This was my dad's favorite song. He passed away on July 17, 2022, right after our whole family sang it too him. This is a song that is very precious to our family. 💔😢
Terrible situation which could have been minimized or prevented. After crying, be a part of a dramatic change in government leadership. Just like this this classic, memories will last but Rock and Roll lives with new leadership. 74 year old former musician and veteran.
I met Buddy Holly in 1958. He was a fun person to hang out with for a while. Buddy enjoyed every minute of life. Today, I'm 75 and a writer. Thanks Buddy for inspiration you can do anything life! R.I.P. . . .😇
Im not american, but damn, the feels on this song keep on hitting. Making me remember memories ive never had, drinking beer in an old timey bar with a group of friends wearing cowboy hats singing, dancing, having fun
This song is about how the music industry literally changed overnight on Feb 3 1959. Gone are the days of singing about happiness and love. Now is death, killing, sin, drugs and debauchery. We are the angels born in hell unable to break satans spell.
I'm a 35 year old bartender at a karaoke bar in Porto Alegre-Brazil. I think last December a group of North Americans were staying in a hotel next to the bar and decided to go sing one night. One of them started singing this song which brought me a wonderful nostalgic feeling as I used to hear this song from time to time in my childhood and given a while later I never heard it again and didn't know the name and artist. I used shazam that night and I never missed this song again, and now every time I listen to it I have a smile and a tear on my face as I remember my childhood. The guy who sang it doesn't know my name, and I don't know his, but on that magical night, we did each other really well (he with the music, me with the cocktails). Thanks for that, friend!
Bacana Nery. Eu tambem procuro uma musica que tocava em um comercial da MTV Brasil que começava assim "I used to love every night as religion"... Nunca encontrei a musica e sinto uma frustração enorme por isso. Acho que essa musica deve ter sido feita somente para o comercial, é a unica explicação que encontro :(
I was 20 yrs old when this became popular, immediately I was caught in by its nostalgic and haunting lyrics because I knew the meaning was tied to the tragic loss of 3 young artists and rock and roll. I'm 72 now, and I thank God for having been part of the best years, best poets and best music ,my body's old but I'm still young inside 😮.
Can you tell me what the heck he’s trying to say? I know about the plane crash and that explains only the first verse, but what other kind of real-world events are being alluded to in this coherent fantasy yet incoherent allegory? I grew up on this song, hearing it on the oldies station and having almost memorized it by the mid-2000s, but I could never make head or tail of it.
@@albertnortononymous9020He's talking about the 50s and 60s dying. The end of an innocent era. Not just Buddy Holly...he brings up the Manson murders of Sharon Tate and her friends when he says "Helter Skelter in the Summer swelter". The dying of a more innocent time in history 😢😢
It’s April 28, 2023 and I just heard the President/Prime Minister of South Korea sang this at a official state banquet and diplomatic reception. He did the first verse and I gotta give him credit. He won over everyone in that room. Well done sir. You touched many American hearts. Thank you.
This has been one of my favorites songs since I first heard it. I saw Don McLean live at my college campus in the mid-seventies and he obliged all of us by performing it. What a thrill!!
I can't even express how good this song is. This song is one of the most American things I have ever listened to! Somber and nostalgic, but also with an undercurrent of happiness in some parts, it just takes you through the decades. It is one of those rare songs that manages to capture the feel of an entire generation of America. It is a song that perfectly embodies of looking back on your youth, on the happy moments that you can nver recapture, but which made you, and which you will cherish forever. And you look back on it with the sobering perspective on adulthood, at how times have changed, and how you can never recapture the simple innocence of your younger years. I really feel that this whole song is a metaphor for the loss of innocence and youth that an entire generation of America experienced in the '60's. But this song can also resonate with virtually everyone at everytime, making it truly universal. Plus, it's impossible not to sing along to! Thank you Don McLean, thank you for making one of the best songs of all time!
The lyrics are everything. It's the history of rock and roll without using the names. The King was Elvis, the players on the grass were the Beatles at Shea Stadium, their last concert, moss on a rolling stone refers to Dylan taking over the scene, and on and on. Maybe THE greatest song ever written. Pure genius.
My dad used to play this on record for me when I was a little kid. Sadly he dad passed away 2 years ago and for some stupid reason we didn't have contact the last few years. I was there by his side at the end, but never got a chance to tell him how much he really meant to me and how sorry I was for not keeping in touch. Love you dad.
If you were there, he already knew. I lost my dad 8 years ago. It feels like an eternity has passed since then, but I know I will see him again and he will be cancer-free once again.
I'm so sorry to hear that. It truly breaks my heart. Forgiveness is essential in our lives, for our time here on earth is short. That's why I believe in Christ, cause I want to live in eternity. God bless you and know you will always have the good memories you shared with your father.
The first song I learned to sing in English at 5 years old. The first song I learned to play on the guitar. The song of my life. Timeless, this gives me goosebumps and this feeling for a decade I wish I have lived in.
I remember hearing American Pie for the first time in December 1971 on the old KIMN AM in Denver CO riding around in my moms brand new 72 Gran Torino. I was 13 years old. It continued to get frequent airplay well into 1972 (although a cut-down version rather than the 8 minute plus long version), I didn't even know there was a long version for several years after it was released. Fifty years on, I still occasionally hear it on an oldies station, its in the top 5 of my favorite pop/rock songs of all time. I often wish there was a song like this that told the story of pop music and the culture that went along with it in the decades since, (other than Billy Joels "We didn't start the Fire") They dont write them like that anymore (to borrow the lyrics from an 80s song)....and likely never will.
Something touches me deep inside every time I hear this. “A Classic 70’s song” Dancing in the gym, I was in seventh grade, basketball games in the gym. Just the best times ever. RIP to the good old days.
The bit at the end where the music breaks down and then builds again brings tears to my eyes every time. Only music can inspire emotion like that and this has to be the greatest song ever written by a man writing a song about people that inspired him. It's just beautiful and i will never not love it
I wish we could have this respect for the art of songwriting again. It was so organic and free. And man, I sure wish I owned that guitar he's playing today
I grew up listening to this song and am now in college. In my eyes, this song is the hegemony of all American music of the past 70 years. It has a certain character that makes you think about the lyrics and wrestle with its message. It speaks of America and its turbulent past. The song has the same turbulence and dies out, but the last encore of the chorus swells in emotion giving hope for a future that can give us one more verse and another. The song and America goes on. Thank you Don for such a great song! Happy Thanksgiving y’all! Enjoy yourself some pie and this American Pie today!
Im still trying to decide if its about the Vietnam War, the Buddy Valens plane crash, the JFK assassination, the Beetles, The Rolling Stones, or all of the above
Did you know that this song made such an impression that there were at least 2 "reply" songs made about it? Roberta Flacks "Killing me softly (with his song)"..later remade by the Fugees. Gene Cotton...Sunshine Roses.
Not everybody knows this but this entire song is quite literally a tribute to Buddy Holly and a message to tell the world how rock and roll changed since his death this whole song was written in a bar and it is probably the best piece of music composed in a very long time
The song is about Buddy but its about much more then just that. Its also him telling his life of being a paperboy thinking dreaming one day becoming a performer, on up to a high school let down over a girl he had an eye out for. How music along with past events and war changed America. England invasion of music became so popular it overcame even the crown. The falling away from god from the new music misleading a nation away from pure values to do as they pleased and what felt good. Jack on the candle stick is America waking up from its demonic trance ways, maybe when its to late. It close to being prophetic looking at things in today's world.
When songs first come out, you don't realize they are timeless classics. I was a kid when this came out and really liked it but didn't really appreciate the genius behind it
@eveappleeater3441 On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson
This is easily one of the greatest songs ever written, if not the greatest. The way Don tells stories through each lyric is still impressive, despite the song being 50 years old. True masterpiece.
Ah, because you know and understand all the songs since the beginning of time, in all languages? " one of the greatest songs ever written, if not the greatest " LOL
Ever since 1969, the Fraternal Odor of Politics 😮& CIGAR Smoke 😢 Has been stinky & in need of Housing. DAMN the Feminist Manifestos of Middle Eastern Hoochi Mamma Dancers.❤❤❤
It's because, besides having a great tune, this song is packed full of Americana, of nostalgia about the times when we didn't let divisive progressive ideologies into our lives, when everyone just lived their lives and let others live theirs.
My Dads funeral is on Tuesday and this was his song.. this song is really going to hit me so hard, I’m just not ready to say goodbye yet.. my family have lost our captain and we’re not sure which way to sail. I hope with his soul in the wind he will guide us to land… I love and miss you so so much dad 😢❤️
ME TOO and i'm so glad i did. my parents had my 2 sisters and I in the back of their honda odyssey playing motown, beach boys, 60's and 70's classics and i'm so glad the internet has allowed me to revisit this now at 27 years old. love them so much always and forever
I'm so glad I was a teenager in the 70's, we tried to interpret this song while smoking weed. We came to the conclusion that Don had a dream/vision that was telling us not to forget music/humanity. Music is the one thing besides your faith that no one can take from you. Thanks Don - some good old lyrics and story-telling genius. Everyone knows the chorus! Your music will never die. Bless you.
I remember I was 12 the 1st time I heard this. I told my mom, "I don't understand this song, but I want to." So my precious mother, who 20 years later took her first computer class, went to the library. There she and the librarian found the lyrics, and (remember this), mimiographed those lyrics. Then she went to the record store and bought the 45f American Pie for me. (If you ask your kids what a 45 is, they will probably say, much like mine, "Uh, is it a gun?") I listened to that 45 and read those lyrics over and over again until one day it clicked for me. I understood what Donem McClain was trying to impress on my young mind. American Pie wasn't just a rock anthem, it became MY anthem.God bless us, the children of the 70s!
At 22 yrs old in 2024 i hope this song is not only played, but is admired as deeply as i and many others admire it today. This song is timeless. The celebratory sorrow of a tale of saddness anyone can relate to is unbeatable. I still recall singing this with my grandparents before understanding it and realizing the meaning these words would possess someday. Music is the most universal, easiest understood form of communication. From individual to societal, music can deliver a message otherwise too vague, and too broad.
Yes still. Thank you you young man. I shared this song with my children now 44, 42 and almost 34. They know all the Lyrics and it is a stand up song because when it starts people stand up and start singing ❤
This is poetry, I had a really had drinking problem for a while and my dad slowly lost his love for me. I’m good now and our relationship is golden, I read this comment and immediately called my dad and said this comment to him. Despite my awful drinking and the way he saw me in those days, we always have connected through music. For a while music was the only way I could communicate my feelings to my dad
My dad died yesterday and this was one of his favorite songs. He had the 45 record and I have early childhood memories of him playing this record on the stero. RIP Daddy. ❤
My little brother was killed 30 years ago today, Aug 14,1993. He sang this song solo karaoke at a big family reunion just a few weeks before that. It had always been one of my favorite songs, but it definitely hit even harder ever since. Love you and miss you Josh! Bye bye 'til I see you again!
This song was the first song I ever became obsessed with, at the tender age of 4 years old. My mother had it on cassette and I warped the ribbon by playing and rewinding the song so many times it snapped. It wasn't until I was a teenager that the irony of that hit me. Folk music is still my favorite genre
It's June 3, 2023 and this wonderful song. Is still a big hit and I'm happy! I was 11 years old when it came out. Now I'm 62 and it still resonates with me. As much as it did back then. Thank you Don McLean and thank you to whoever made this video! You did a great job! 😊 🥧 ❤ 🥳 🎶 🎉🥰 🎼 👄🎵
There is no top-40 or popular song like this. This is a thoughtful 8 minute anthology that fondly captures the events and the feelings of "our" age for a couple of decades.
This song is extremely and deeply touching. These are such simple words, but they carry so many meanings. A true poetry that I will never get tired of hearing! Wonderful!
I had a nasty experience at my last school so we switched to homeschooling for 6 months and I was tutored by some of the most awesome people I've ever met with such different personalities connected wonderfully..similar to the Beatles. What relates this song to them was at my send-off party to Art school this year. As I said Goodbye to all of them when they were leaving our house this song started playing from my playlist. Listening to it now so many memories come back of having my life change within 6 months. Thanks Don!
When I was a little baby, my mom used to sing this song to me because she didn’t know any lullabies but she knew this by heart. Then I see this gets posted and it brings a tear to my eye every time.
I know this song when I was 14, my tenant played this song and 'Beautiful Sunday' when his presence. It's almost 50 years. Right now, most of Hong Kongers, who are fond of music from the US, have no longer lived in HK
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I've loved this song for years,it's so emotional and actually quite breathtaking! His choice of lyrics,music and absolute emotion he put into this song is outstanding!
Our oldest son was 5 years old when this was number one and played on the radio all the time. We were in the car and this song came on the radio and my 5-year-old was singing along and I'll never forget him singing, "good ole boys drinking whisky and rye, saying this'll be the day I die. This'll be the day that I die." His head was held high and back and just singing with all his might. I can see it just as clear as I did that summer day in 1973. It's a memory I will always cherish.
I play this song whenever I'm feeling sad or nostalgic about life and the people I was blessed to have known and miss dearly. It reminds me how life can be terrifying, joyful or just plain bewildering sometimes but we're so lucky to experience it.
This track was written about a an aeroplane crash in the 60s I think that none other Mr Elvis avoided! Orchestrated by white so called right wing conservative Christian extremists, a life is a life!!!!!!!!!!
Ah that much is true! Mr McLean's track was definitely not overrated at all. I guess it goes on & on, that what Good Visionary and meaningful Music can do as Time goes by etc? That's what it does, it never dies!!!!!!! Yet it is also very true many have fallen by the wayside hence, for quite simply expressing their Music, ideas or feelings, which was not acceptable to some who made them pay the ultimate sacrifice. 'Premeditive' and left little evidence except for the sensitive ones in the know of course, I guess also that's why they get away with it, I hope it doesn't keep happening?
Im pretty sure there are references to Bob Dylan Rolling Stone song, The verse with hands were clenched in fists of rage has to do with the Rolling stones concert at Altamont.. they hired the Hells Angels as security and if I remember right there were murders by “security” there. Then riots. With the fires.. Lennon read a book of Marx.. not Lenin.. John Lennon. A verse about the sergeants was Sgt Peppers lonely hearts band.. etc. Anyway.. great sing. Rock was changed after Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died. In the song anyway..
At seventy years of age, I still cry and remember when the music died in my life. Dear children, please hold on to everything you can, and remember this moment always
My dad told me a story about Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper when I was young. I didn't really believe him as I couldn't believe there was someone named the Big Bopper. Years later, watching the movie La Bamba, I understood it finally and the great loss that happened on that plane. This song reminds me of both of these moments
I could sing the whole song in my teens. I'm 68 now. Brings back lots of old memories. This was music I studied with. I'm going to sing it at my next class reunion.
There are some rock 'n roll, pop, rock songs that stand the test of time, that no-one can match the original with a cover, despite valiant attempts and which represent a perfection... This is one of them.
My dad and I would sing this song while we drive. He been gone a year. But I play this song with my kids. I may cry and think of him, but remember our road trips!
[Verse 1] 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 ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin', "This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die" [Verse 2] 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 [Chorus] 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" [Verse 3] 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 [Chorus] 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" [Verse 4] 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 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? [Chorus] 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" [Verse 5] 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 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 [Chorus] 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..." [Bridge] 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 [Chorus] 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" [Outro] 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"
My Dad would play this on his guitar when I was a kid. He died in 2023. The song came into my head this morning and here I am listening as tears roll down my face.😢 This song will always remind me of him.
WOW, WOW, WOW!!! This is my favourite song of all times. Finally it also has an amazing video. Mr. McLean, you are one of the greatest song writers of the XXth century! Salutes from Italy.
This is one of the most brilliant if not the most brilliant rendition of lyrics. Absolutely fabulous video, as it matches typography and images impeccably with the rhythm and sync of the song. Well done!
"American Pie" was one of many great songs of my generation and I am thankful to have lived through these times before all the hate and jealousy of today, I hope this country has a resurrection and rethink all the evil we are now apart of because we are destroying ourselves from within and the future don't look bright for anyone except the evil behind l
This song is really bittersweet. It's fun and upbeat song whose lyrics are about the death of 3 singers that died in a plane crash, while also telling of American culture in the 60s. No wonder this song has such major historical significance.
A violent change of an entire way of life; music, motherhood, family, church/God, and innocence. A societal shift. A distrust and tension between; the youth/mature, man/woman, God/science, and peace/war, anarchy/stability. For some it was a time of experimentation, euphoria, and excitement. For others it was a time of unease, fear, and injustice. Having lived the time, that's my opinion anyway.
The song has nostalgic themes,[20] stretching from the late 1950s until late 1969 or 1970. Except to acknowledge that he first learned about Buddy Holly's death on February 3, 1959 - McLean was age 13 - when he was folding newspapers for his paper route on the morning of February 4, 1959 (hence the line "February made me shiver/with every paper I'd deliver"), McLean has generally avoided responding to direct questions about the song's lyrics; he has said: "They're beyond analysis. They're poetry."[21] He also stated in an editorial published in 2009, on the 50th anniversary of the crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (who are alluded to in the final verse in a comparison with the Christian Holy Trinity), that writing the first verse of the song exorcised his long-running grief over Holly's death and that he considers the song to be "a big song ... that summed up the world known as America".[22] McLean dedicated the American Pie album to Holly. Some commentators have identified the song as outlining the darkening of cultural mood, as over time the cultural vanguard passed from Pete Seeger and Joan Baez (the "King and Queen" of folk music), then from Elvis Presley (known as "the King" of Rock and Roll), to Bob Dylan ("the Jester" - who wore a jacket similar to that worn by cultural icon James Dean, was known as "the voice of his generation" ("a voice that came from you and me"),[23] and whose motorcycle accident ("in a cast") left him in reclusion for many years, recording in studios rather than touring ("on the sidelines"), to The Beatles (John Lennon, punned with Lenin, and "the Quartet" - although McLean has stated the Quartet is a reference to other people[6]), to The Byrds (who wrote one of the first psychedelic rock songs, "Eight Miles High", and then "fell fast" - the song was banned, one of the group entered rehabilitation (known colloquially as a "fallout shelter"), and shortly after, the group declined as it lost members, changed genres, and alienated fans), to The Rolling Stones (who released Jumpin' Jack Flash and Their Satanic Majesties Request ("Jack Flash", "Satan", "The Devil"), and used Hells Angels - "Angels born in Hell" - as event security, with fatal consequences, bringing the 1960s to a violent end[24]), and to Janis Joplin (the "girl who sang the blues" but just "turned away" - she died of a heroin overdose the following year). It has also been speculated that the song contains numerous references to post-World War II American political events, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy (known casually as "Jack") and subsequent killing of his assassin (whose courtroom trial obviously ended as a result ("adjourned"),[25] the Cuban Missile Crisis ("Jack be nimble, Jack be quick"),[26] the murders of civil rights workers Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner,[27] and elements of culture such as sock hops ("kicking off shoes" to dance, preventing damage to the varnished floor), cruising with a pickup truck,[25][28] the rise of the political protest song ("a voice that came from you and me"), drugs and the Counterculture, the Manson Family's and murders in the "summer swelter" of 1969 (the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter") and much more.[6] Many additional and alternative interpretations have also been proposed. For example, Bob Dylan's first performance in Great Britain was also at a pub called "The King and Queen", and he also appeared more literally "on the sidelines in a (the) cast" - as one of many stars at the back far right of the cover art of the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ("the Sergeants played a marching tune").[26] The song title itself is a reference to apple pie, an unofficial symbol of the United States and one of its signature comfort foods,[29] as seen in the popular expression "As American as apple pie".[30] By the twentieth century, this had become a symbol of American prosperity and national pride.[30] When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean jokingly replied, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to."[31] Later, he stated, "You will find many interpretations of my lyrics but none of them by me ... Sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence."[32] He also commented on the popularity of his music, "I didn't write songs that were just catchy, but with a point of view, or songs about the environment." In February 2015, however, McLean announced he would reveal the meaning of the lyrics to the song when the original manuscript went for auction in New York City, in April 2015.[33] The lyrics and notes were auctioned on April 7, and sold for $1.2 million.[34] In the sale catalogue notes, McLean revealed the meaning in the song's lyrics: "Basically in 'American Pie' things are heading in the wrong direction. ... It [life] is becoming less idyllic. I don't know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense."[35] The catalogue confirmed some of the better-known references in the song's lyrics, including mentions of Elvis Presley ("the king") and Bob Dylan ("the jester"), and confirmed that the song climaxes with a description of the death of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont Free Concert, ten years after the plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and Richardson.[35] Mike Mills of R.E.M. reflected: "'American Pie' just made perfect sense to me as a song and that's what impressed me the most. I could say to people this is how to write songs. When you've written at least three songs that can be considered classic that is a very high batting average and if one of those songs happens to be something that a great many people think is one of the greatest songs ever written you've not only hit the top of the mountain but you've stayed high on the mountain for a long time."[36]
Excellent, I was aware of most of the meaning, .but that enlightens alot of my guesses! Lol thx for your knowledge on this . It's more than just a great great epic musical wonder!
There are also references to Marty Robbins's song "A White Sport Coat And A Pink Carnation", and the TV show "Lost in Space". Excellent analysis, jim monroe. (I remember the constant intense analyses of these lyrics when the song was first released: numerous articles were written and everyone had an opinion.) 🙂
When I was a little kid, my Dad would play this for me countless times because he knew how much I loved this song. So when he passed away, after a three year battle of A.L.S.😢 I wrote a parody of this song as a tribute to my late father. VERSE 1 Long long time ago, I can still remember how his music used to make us smile. A 1959 born man, thought he had a long lifespan, and we could all be together for a while. But 2016 made us shiver, for his right leg began to quiver, it got worse with each step, he couldn’t take one more step. He wrote software he could upload, used computers, and advanced codes, and now sun’s set on his road, we call it his ORANGE ASPHALT. Oh my my Stephen was a smart guy, he has been here, for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides, saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side. VERSE 2 Did you know he met a girl, at university where his life unfurled, for she you see was his future love. Their relationship began as friends of course, despite flaws love’s a greater force, and yes they were both blessed by the lord above. Oh he purposed and became engaged, and their requested marriage was arranged, they were the best of husbands and wives, it was the best day of their lives. They had 3 great kids who they both adore, and one married a man of Canadian lore, but sadly the great wedding wasn’t before our man Stephen’s ORANGE ASPHALT. I started singing My my Stephen was smart guy, he has been here, for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides’ saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side. VERSE 3 Now for decades music was a loved thing, he cherished with his beloved siblings, and wow what a very merry group they were. Yes their loving parents were so filled with joy, they were deeply proud of their girls and their boys, it was an extraordinary concert yes sir. Well he passed his great love for the art, to his 3 kids he loved with all his heart, he entertained them with his gift, and their spirits he did lift. Yeah on his great guitar he was indeed a bliss, and he truly was a musical artist, his musical hands will sorely be missed, oh yes after his ORANGE ASPHALT. We started singing My my Stephen was a smart guy, he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides’ saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side. VERSE 4 Destination visitation anticipation for vacation, he loved one spot in this whole nation. Yes up in York Maine was a sensation, at his vast family’s cabin’s location, his thing was nature hiking exploration. Oh Bar Harbor, and Jordon Pond, and Mount Cadillac, Black woods and beyond, on the island he loved it all, Mount Desert Island it is called. Yes Steve loved the state of Maine the very best, yes his favorite in the hemisphere of the west, Maine mourns the loss of one of it’s guests, oh yes after Steve’s ORANGE ASPHALT Maine started singing My my Stephen was a smart guy, he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides, saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side. VERSE 5 Oh this song’s title I’ll explain what that is, it’s long story but it goes something like this, it all started with a video game. It has a total of 30 levels it’s true, and we advanced to the level 22, and yes orange asphalt is that level’s given name. Because you control a motorcycle, on a sunset lit road for a while, Stephen took that level to heart, I guess that was his favorite part. Because ever since then he asked from morning to 9, may I name this after, favorite level of mine, we will treasure late Steve’s famous line, “Can I call this ORANGE ASPHALT?”. He’s probably singing My my Stephen was a smart guy, he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides, saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side. VERSE 6 We already missed Stephen yes, when he had been cursed with A.L.S., we miss the man he used to be. We took the task to help our man, in any possible way we can, the bad illness proceeded unfortunately. On July 10 2019, his fate we feared had been seen, and zero words were spoken, the hearts of us were broken. And the level Steve admired best, I took to my heart cross my chest, I named the song you know the rest, Steve may call it ORANGE ASPHALT. And I was singing…. My my Stephen was a smart guy, he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides, saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side. FINALE We were singing…. My my Stephen was a smart guy, he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes, he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides, saying one you’ll be by my side.
we are.. RiP Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens... I just watched La Bamba with my kids, I had been waiting few years till they were old enough, great movie, great nusic and thanks Dad for always playing their nusic when i grew up.
This lyric video is utterly beautifully done. The differing use of fonts and imagery for each verse helps to add to the meaning(s) behind this epic narrative song. It is truly one of the greatest songs of the 20th century and the meanings of it are literally being debated constantly (even though Don McLean broke his silence over the meaning in 2022); this video continues to add to that discussion!
My grandfather (on my mom's side) passed on this year on January 22, and we played this at his funeral last week. I may not have had to many memories of him, but the ones I do have I will cherish forever.
Kindda crazy but i heard this song with my mom back in 2019 when i went with her to do her cancer exams. We were in the car and she was singing this song with me with a big smile. She passed away 3.5 years ago, I still miss her. Today is her birthday and I’ll always come back to this song
I say Hello from Russia! From man,who touched 70-80's in USSR! Trust me,Man, we had old good times too! So I just want send lot of good wishes to you and your kind!
I'm a product of 1958 who also came to age in the 70's and I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, the 70's were the best years of my life as well.
To the generations to come, never let this song die.
YES SIR CAM❗❗❗❗❗❗
July 2024 /Still Rockingg.
on it
Got it
ok sir
On February 3rd 2024 it has been 65 years since that tragic day we LOST BUDDY HOLLY, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Yet their music still Rocks to this very DAY! Thank You Don McLean for this awesome Tribute to the entire Rock & Roll Industry. Rock On!
they would probably have died now anyway.
@@finallife87maybe but it’s totally possible they could still be alive considering Donna (Ritchie’s gf) is still alive
oooo wee oooo i look just like buddy holly
sorry weezer fan
@@finallife87 True, though the tragedy is that were taken from us in their prime. Buddy Holly was only 22 when the crash happened. Who knows what he would've been able to do if he had more time.
Still one of my all-time favorites! 🖤
One of the greatest songs ever performed. Made the tears run. Glad I'm 65 and grew up in the best music time in history. God bless to all of you.
About to turn 62....Didn't really understand exactly what this was about but I always loved the song. Lost innocence
I was just thinking that when I die, I will be leaving in the company of other people of my time, this time. The time of the greatest music. We will have a lot to share, so it will be nice.
Amen to that!!
About the day Buddy Holly died, actually.
Don't forget Richie Valens and the Big Bopper too
I’m 14 and I have been listening to this forever. This song will never die
50 years here and im 60 years old 🌀
Good taste Samantha!
@@финик-с6ч no doubt 👍
My father died 40 minutes ago.
My Oldest memory with him was dancing to this song, that was the happiest I remember him being. The smile on his face... In his later life it was very rare that you saw him smile.
Fuck Cancer.
The family met today in my granny's house, and we ended up sharing stories and talking about the kind of support we've gotten from people learning of his death.
I always knew he had friends from every walk of life, but there were people sending their condolences from everywhere, even retail workers in shops he frequented and chemists learned of his death and contacted us. Teachers from educational facilities he hadn't learned at in 25+ years too.
I've been placed in charge of making a playlist of music that he would have liked to play before he's cremated and this song will definitely be on it.
So sad…. I’m so sorry for your loss :/
It must be very hard for you…
Let those memories push you trough tuff moments
Не переживай, все когда- нибудь уйдем. Сожалею о вашей утрате.
so sorry for your loss man, praying for you and your family.
May the Lord bless you and keep you
May the music never die. May we all sing together in harmony.
amen and amen!
YES! My grandads favourites. Can't believe half my music taste Is game music and the other half my grandads playlist lmao. This song is a banger >:)
@@noobfailgaming5703 dirges in the dark!
Dude the point of the song is that the music is dead. The culture of the United States is nearly gone.
@@michaelseiber1794 why did you ruin the nostalgia for me 😭😭😭 I knew it had a sad outlining but you didn't need to ruin my childhood
My 60 year old daughter's funeral was two days ago. She was special. She had planned every segment of her 'Celebration of Life'. The funeral home could not seat everyone as people just kept coming in. She had been fighting cancer for eight years and she never gave up. Her faith and her positive attitude kept her going. But her body finally ran out of steam. The last song she requested and asked people to join in was American Pie. Everyone, including this 86 year old Mom sang. There was not a dry eye in the place. I told you she was special.
Very moving about your brave daughter...tears in my eyes. I don't think the repeated line, "the day the music died" totally applies to her though. It's clear the music in your heart for your daughter is still very alive and will always play❤. Take good care.
Thank you so much. You read me right. @@gmtgsong4635
sorry for your loss that is sad im 10 and this is making me cry.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@gmtgsong4635 h
she must have been really cool... ngl,this made me almost tear up. may she rest in peace
My granddaughter came in my room singing this! Sure brought back great memories from my high school days. 50+ yrs difference between us & we both have great taste! ❤
Dang right 👍
Its timeless because its about yesterday, and every generation has its yesterday. Its a tragically beautiful life. Live it. Love you all
This song reminds me of our stolen presidential election and I could cry seeing what's been done to America by the Biden crime regime!!
@@michaelmoslak2975 my father passed in 2018 and I often think about how disappointed he was in the decline of America. He never got over it and I often think about him when I listen to The Statler Brothers song " Do you remember these". I am glad he didn't have to endure covid or the insanity of the last couple of years. Let's try to Make America Great Again for my father and all our past generations that gave everything for this country.
You two are smoking some shit 😂
@@michaelmoslak2975you can't be seriously blaming that old **** for everything when before him there was a bunch of garbage in his place.
@@LeoKinhg It's the entire party not just creepy joe.
This song seems to hold a special place for many people... and rightly so...
So for everyone:
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
This traditional Irish blessing is an ancient Celtic prayer.
Someone told me that many years ago I've heard that before as a child
@007JHS
I've never heard that until now. But thank you kindly! That is beautiful and I wish the same for you as well. God bless you! 😊
Thank you man. Wishing all luck from Italy.
I'd heard this before and looked for it, but never didn't know where nor what I was really looking for. Thank you very much for bringing this to us. God's blessings be on thee as well.
Some of me English is terrible, but I hope you got my message.
子供の頃から聴いてるけど、本当に色褪せない名曲だと思う
Top 💯
P😊😊p😊😊p😊😊pp😊😊p😊p😊😊😊]❤😊9l@@luizhonorio9917
La neta que sí, carnal.
Still listening to it in 2025❤
Me
"Did you write the book of love?" - these words are the words of such a pure and beautiful depth in love and gift wrapped in the most poetry! Together with book, we all learn how to love. The love of the book of love is the love of learning how to love everything
Have you ever heard of the country song a thing called love
The Bible is written by people inspired by God.
This was my dad's favorite song. He passed away on July 17, 2022, right after our whole family sang it too him. This is a song that is very precious to our family. 💔😢
Rest in peace 🙏
So sorry for your loss
My dad used to play this on his guitar. He passed in 2018. Well will listen together in memory of our fathers and the great music they taught us.
Sorry for your loss 😢
Sorry for your loss but good choice
Watching my home town burn, crying listening to this, LA, California 1/11/25
I’m sorry
Terrible situation which could have been minimized or prevented. After crying, be a part of a dramatic change in government leadership. Just like this this classic, memories will last but Rock and Roll lives with new leadership. 74 year old former musician and veteran.
So sorry 💔❤️🩹 Hope you and your family are safe. Sending light and love from the Philippines 🇵🇭
I'm so very sorry. All of Western North Carolina is sending y'all love and strength.
A 67 years old dog from Thailand was and still listenning to this song.A thousand thanks and loves!
r u still alive?
@yeshua6857 Dude it's only been 3 months
I met Buddy Holly in 1958. He was a fun person to hang out with for a while. Buddy enjoyed every minute of life. Today, I'm 75 and a writer. Thanks Buddy for inspiration you can do anything life! R.I.P. . . .😇
Wow, you were present for such an iconic slice of time. If you ever decide to write a memoir, count me as one of your readers 😁🙌
Great story
I’d also love to read it if you write a memoir
Please tell us in the comments if that ever happens
So you met him and hung out in 1958 for a while, when you were 10 years old. I'll take things that never happened for $2,000 Alex.
So you were only nine or ten years old? How come you “hung out” with him?
One of the greatest songs ever. I was a young kid when it came out. I’m now 61 and still love hearing it
overrated
@@johnnyringo2695 ofc a guy with the last name "ringo" says that
I'm only 19 and this is my favorite song of all time.
@@johnnyringo2695
Really? Jealous much? That sounds like, a personal problem to me and not a, wise one to have either. Sucks to be you!
@@flickcentergaming680 I'm 14 and I like this song.
This song is longer than 8 minutes but you're not bored listening and that makes this song amazing.
Buddy Holly was a Legend
Had he lived a long life he would Elvis Presley wouldn't of been the King.
The song almost didn't get released because of the 8 minute length. The suits didn't think it would do well.
It's a tour de force masterpiece!
Who cares if 3 minutes or 8 minutes it's banging still
Back in the 70s when radio had late night disc jockeys, this 8 minute song was played when they needed a bathroom break. 😂
Im not american, but damn, the feels on this song keep on hitting. Making me remember memories ive never had, drinking beer in an old timey bar with a group of friends wearing cowboy hats singing, dancing, having fun
This song is about how the music industry literally changed overnight on Feb 3 1959. Gone are the days of singing about happiness and love. Now is death, killing, sin, drugs and debauchery. We are the angels born in hell unable to break satans spell.
America is a continent, not a country
I'm a 35 year old bartender at a karaoke bar in Porto Alegre-Brazil.
I think last December a group of North Americans were staying in a hotel next to the bar and decided to go sing one night. One of them started singing this song which brought me a wonderful nostalgic feeling as I used to hear this song from time to time in my childhood and given a while later I never heard it again and didn't know the name and artist. I used shazam that night and I never missed this song again, and now every time I listen to it I have a smile and a tear on my face as I remember my childhood.
The guy who sang it doesn't know my name, and I don't know his, but on that magical night, we did each other really well (he with the music, me with the cocktails). Thanks for that, friend!
que experiência linda! fico feliz que o destino tenha trazido essa música de volta aos seus ouvidos
Porto Alegre, lar de uma das três melhores bandas de Rock Nacional na minha opinião e acho que na de muita gente também, talvez até na sua né
cool and i agree
Bacana Nery. Eu tambem procuro uma musica que tocava em um comercial da MTV Brasil que começava assim "I used to love every night as religion"... Nunca encontrei a musica e sinto uma frustração enorme por isso. Acho que essa musica deve ter sido feita somente para o comercial, é a unica explicação que encontro :(
I wish I were there. Never been to Brazil.... Would love to go.
I was 20 yrs old when this became popular, immediately I was caught in by its nostalgic and haunting lyrics because I knew the meaning was tied to the tragic loss of 3 young artists and rock and roll. I'm 72 now, and I thank God for having been part of the best years, best poets and best music ,my body's old but I'm still young inside 😮.
Your saying this era was better at song writing than Cardi B??? Your wild… haha
I had just entered the Air Force when this song was popular. It kept me sane through the whole experience.
Can you tell me what the heck he’s trying to say? I know about the plane crash and that explains only the first verse, but what other kind of real-world events are being alluded to in this coherent fantasy yet incoherent allegory? I grew up on this song, hearing it on the oldies station and having almost memorized it by the mid-2000s, but I could never make head or tail of it.
@@albertnortononymous9020He's talking about the 50s and 60s dying. The end of an innocent era. Not just Buddy Holly...he brings up the Manson murders of Sharon Tate and her friends when he says "Helter Skelter in the Summer swelter". The dying of a more innocent time in history 😢😢
damn gramps, didn't know you we're chill like that
It’s April 28, 2023 and I just heard the President/Prime Minister of South Korea sang this at a official state banquet and diplomatic reception. He did the first verse and I gotta give him credit. He won over everyone in that room. Well done sir. You touched many American hearts. Thank you.
Not Prime Minister. He is President
@@大韓帝國-e3h Thank you for sharing this with us. Have a great weekend!
Great Yoon can make better S.Korea
Truly shows the kids how legendary this song is. put a smile on my face that’s for sure
@@오동재-q1y 위대해서 국제호구라고 놀림을 받냐?
January 2025🎉 Finding the good in our world. ❤
This song reminds me of my father. He whistled. I don't hear much whistling anymore.
This has been one of my favorites songs since I first heard it. I saw Don McLean live at my college campus in the mid-seventies and he obliged all of us by performing it. What a thrill!!
Wow I bet that was so cool! I am from England unfortunately lol I would have loved to have been born in America I will swop you 😅
3:05 hi k
Congratulations 🎶🥁👁️🗨️🎼
계속 듣고 있어요 뭔가 뭉클한 그런 감성이 있네요
Are a fan too of Don McLean too dear??
Thanks to Google Translate I understand this comment. :) Glad you like it!
I can't even express how good this song is. This song is one of the most American things I have ever listened to! Somber and nostalgic, but also with an undercurrent of happiness in some parts, it just takes you through the decades. It is one of those rare songs that manages to capture the feel of an entire generation of America. It is a song that perfectly embodies of looking back on your youth, on the happy moments that you can nver recapture, but which made you, and which you will cherish forever. And you look back on it with the sobering perspective on adulthood, at how times have changed, and how you can never recapture the simple innocence of your younger years. I really feel that this whole song is a metaphor for the loss of innocence and youth that an entire generation of America experienced in the '60's. But this song can also resonate with virtually everyone at everytime, making it truly universal. Plus, it's impossible not to sing along to! Thank you Don McLean, thank you for making one of the best songs of all time!
could have not say it better
A beautiful commentary commensurate with the quality and importance of the song. Thank you for expressing it.
The lyrics are everything. It's the history of rock and roll without using the names. The King was Elvis, the players on the grass were the Beatles at Shea Stadium, their last concert, moss on a rolling stone refers to Dylan taking over the scene, and on and on. Maybe THE greatest song ever written. Pure genius.
The king in the song is Jesus 😂😂
Orrrrr it's about Buddy Holly Ritchie Valenz n The Big Bopper J P Richardson.....
the only thing elvis was king of was drugs, he was terrible
@@TsDomain do you think a song just about those three would be considered one of the greatest of all time? They are just the symbols; do some research
@mikegilbert2500 they are just symbols of.... "The Day The Music Died"....
A World without music is like a World without any Good reason to exist. This Lyrical Video is a Perfect Representation of a Truly Classic Song.
underrated quote
@SkylarYuedafish thank you so much for understanding the importance of that quote.
I agree it's taken the presentation of lyrics to a high level
This was my dad's favorite song, he passed march 2023. Rest In Peace, daddy i miss you so much and nothing will ever be the same.
So sorry for your loss ❤
My dad used to play this on record for me when I was a little kid. Sadly he dad passed away 2 years ago and for some stupid reason we didn't have contact the last few years. I was there by his side at the end, but never got a chance to tell him how much he really meant to me and how sorry I was for not keeping in touch. Love you dad.
He’ll know without you having to tell him, comes from the heart. And he’ll never be more than a thought away ❤
If you were there, he already knew. I lost my dad 8 years ago. It feels like an eternity has passed since then, but I know I will see him again and he will be cancer-free once again.
Man your Dad loves you!!!❤
I'm so sorry to hear that. It truly breaks my heart. Forgiveness is essential in our lives, for our time here on earth is short. That's why I believe in Christ, cause I want to live in eternity. God bless you and know you will always have the good memories you shared with your father.
sending you love & your dad knows everything that might've gone unsaid❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
The bluesyness of that piano chord at 7:01 is such a nice touch.
The first song I learned to sing in English at 5 years old. The first song I learned to play on the guitar. The song of my life. Timeless, this gives me goosebumps and this feeling for a decade I wish I have lived in.
👍
A monumental classic for sure!!Glad you love it too! God bless you.
I remember hearing American Pie for the first time in December 1971 on the old KIMN AM in Denver CO riding around in my moms brand new 72 Gran Torino. I was 13 years old.
It continued to get frequent airplay well into 1972 (although a cut-down version rather than the 8 minute plus long version), I didn't even know there was a long version for several years after it was released.
Fifty years on, I still occasionally hear it on an oldies station, its in the top 5 of my favorite pop/rock songs of all time.
I often wish there was a song like this that told the story of pop music and the culture that went along with it in the decades since, (other than Billy Joels "We didn't start the Fire")
They dont write them like that anymore (to borrow the lyrics from an 80s song)....and likely never will.
Plot twist she is Natasha Romanoff little sister
Classic
Something touches me deep inside every time I hear this. “A Classic 70’s song” Dancing in the gym, I was in seventh grade, basketball games in the gym. Just the best times ever. RIP to the good old days.
Did this something that touched you deep inside happen on the day the music died?
Hehehe, for years, I thought the lyric was "Dancing Nin to Chin" hehehe
The bit at the end where the music breaks down and then builds again brings tears to my eyes every time. Only music can inspire emotion like that and this has to be the greatest song ever written by a man writing a song about people that inspired him. It's just beautiful and i will never not love it
And, incredible it should have served as a warning for the future of our country! 😥
I wish we could have this respect for the art of songwriting again. It was so organic and free. And man, I sure wish I owned that guitar he's playing today
I grew up listening to this song and am now in college. In my eyes, this song is the hegemony of all American music of the past 70 years. It has a certain character that makes you think about the lyrics and wrestle with its message. It speaks of America and its turbulent past. The song has the same turbulence and dies out, but the last encore of the chorus swells in emotion giving hope for a future that can give us one more verse and another. The song and America goes on. Thank you Don for such a great song! Happy Thanksgiving y’all! Enjoy yourself some pie and this American Pie today!
Im still trying to decide if its about the Vietnam War, the Buddy Valens plane crash, the JFK assassination, the Beetles, The Rolling Stones, or all of the above
@@ficklemoose2741 All of the above
Did you know that this song made such an impression that there were at least 2 "reply" songs made about it?
Roberta Flacks "Killing me softly (with his song)"..later remade by the Fugees.
Gene Cotton...Sunshine Roses.
It can go on alright but I hope it goes on better than it has been so far this century.
Apparently it took 3 weeks and with crack NY studio session players to get it to sound "like I wanted it to sound".
We're all fortunate.
Not everybody knows this but this entire song is quite literally a tribute to Buddy Holly and a message to tell the world how rock and roll changed since his death this whole song was written in a bar and it is probably the best piece of music composed in a very long time
Adding to the tribute, the album was written to be dedicated to Buddy Holly
I'm 44 and know exactly what this song is about!
@@susanwagner900 I would love to hear from you. Where can I contact you?
Disclaimer: this is a theory.
The song is about Buddy but its about much more then just that. Its also him telling his life of being a paperboy thinking dreaming one day becoming a performer, on up to a high school let down over a girl he had an eye out for. How music along with past events and war changed America. England invasion of music became so popular it overcame even the crown. The falling away from god from the new music misleading a nation away from pure values to do as they pleased and what felt good. Jack on the candle stick is America waking up from its demonic trance ways, maybe when its to late. It close to being prophetic looking at things in today's world.
When songs first come out, you don't realize they are timeless classics. I was a kid when this came out and really liked it but didn't really appreciate the genius behind it
I loved this song as a kid
I still do
Knowing the meaning behind this makes this song more impactful
What is the meaning behind the song? I loved this song forever
@eveappleeater3441 On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson
@ dam, that make my heart ache. 😣
This is easily one of the greatest songs ever written, if not the greatest. The way Don tells stories through each lyric is still impressive, despite the song being 50 years old. True masterpiece.
Perhaps the GOAT, really. It tests the human limits of talent and creativity.
@@guilhermehomsy674 I totally agree.
the metaphors are crazy
It’s definitely up there.
Ah, because you know and understand all the songs since the beginning of time, in all languages?
" one of the greatest songs ever written, if not the greatest " LOL
This is still a popular song in 2023, including college bars. I can’t believe a song this long has continued to be so popular. An absolute banger!
SOme songs are just so dang good that they should never end...American Pie is one of them.
Ever since 1969, the Fraternal Odor of Politics 😮& CIGAR Smoke 😢
Has been stinky & in need of Housing. DAMN the Feminist Manifestos of Middle Eastern Hoochi Mamma Dancers.❤❤❤
It's because, besides having a great tune, this song is packed full of Americana, of nostalgia about the times when we didn't let divisive progressive ideologies into our lives, when everyone just lived their lives and let others live theirs.
to me a 16 year old in highschool when im feeling down
This somg is one of the greatest of all time.
여기 오신 한국인 여러분...Don McLean의 다른 노래 Vincent도 들어보세요.. 빈센트 반고호 노래에요. 다들 한번씩은 들어보셧을 거에요. 스테리 스테리 나이트로 시작되는..그리고 영상 감사합니다.
My Dads funeral is on Tuesday and this was his song.. this song is really going to hit me so hard, I’m just not ready to say goodbye yet.. my family have lost our captain and we’re not sure which way to sail. I hope with his soul in the wind he will guide us to land… I love and miss you so so much dad 😢❤️
One of the greatest Rock n Roll tunes ever written.
A 4ever classic. ❤
Amen to that!! Brother… USA #1 🙏
Saw him at university of Missiuri Harnia Hall with my now exwife and Nancy Leuters Jablonski who was our best friend
I’ve been hearing this song my whole life. Todays the first time listening from front to back. What a masterpiece
Thank RUclips for that... Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RUclips
ME TOO and i'm so glad i did. my parents had my 2 sisters and I in the back of their honda odyssey playing motown, beach boys, 60's and 70's classics and i'm so glad the internet has allowed me to revisit this now at 27 years old. love them so much always and forever
I'm so glad I was a teenager in the 70's, we tried to interpret this song while smoking weed. We came to the conclusion that Don had a dream/vision that was telling us not to forget music/humanity. Music is the one thing besides your faith that no one can take from you. Thanks Don - some good old lyrics and story-telling genius. Everyone knows the chorus! Your music will never die. Bless you.
actually it is about Buddy Holly and how he and a few other musicians died in a plane crash.
@@markpullman785 Thanks, I didn't identify the song to Buddy Holly. He is a legend!
@@jennifercontoplianos3615 You're welcome
@@markpullman785 everyone percieves music different. I percieve it as a tribute to buddy,richie, the big bopper and society at the time in general.
Not what he was saying but okay
I love Don McLean, he made some GREAT music, I love ‘Starry Starry Night’ as well
how can I feel so much nostalgia for something that I've never listened to before.
❤️
Bc it isnt that it brings you back for it but the feeling of your childhood past
The power of good music
Same!
I remember I was 12 the 1st time I heard this. I told my mom, "I don't understand this song, but I want to." So my precious mother, who 20 years later took her first computer class, went to the library. There she and the librarian found the lyrics, and (remember this), mimiographed those lyrics. Then she went to the record store and bought the 45f American Pie for me. (If you ask your kids what a 45 is, they will probably say, much like mine, "Uh, is it a gun?") I listened to that 45 and read those lyrics over and over again until one day it clicked for me. I understood what Donem McClain was trying to impress on my young mind. American Pie wasn't just a rock anthem, it became MY anthem.God bless us, the children of the 70s!
At 22 yrs old in 2024 i hope this song is not only played, but is admired as deeply as i and many others admire it today. This song is timeless. The celebratory sorrow of a tale of saddness anyone can relate to is unbeatable. I still recall singing this with my grandparents before understanding it and realizing the meaning these words would possess someday. Music is the most universal, easiest understood form of communication. From individual to societal, music can deliver a message otherwise too vague, and too broad.
Yes still. Thank you you young man. I shared this song with my children now 44, 42 and almost 34. They know all the Lyrics and it is a stand up song because when it starts people stand up and start singing ❤
💖🎶🎶🎶🎶💖
This is poetry, I had a really had drinking problem for a while and my dad slowly lost his love for me. I’m good now and our relationship is golden, I read this comment and immediately called my dad and said this comment to him. Despite my awful drinking and the way he saw me in those days, we always have connected through music. For a while music was the only way I could communicate my feelings to my dad
I'm 71 years old, and this song still resonates with me just like it did in 71. I hope it's not prophetic.
I just turned 70@@FTONY-sl8mq
This song will NEVER get old....
My dad died yesterday and this was one of his favorite songs. He had the 45 record and I have early childhood memories of him playing this record on the stero. RIP Daddy. ❤
Take Care, my condolences
❤
👍🤣
Take care....my condolences. May your father rest in peace.
R.i.p too all good dad's that had passed 😢😢
My little brother was killed 30 years ago today, Aug 14,1993. He sang this song solo karaoke at a big family reunion just a few weeks before that. It had always been one of my favorite songs, but it definitely hit even harder ever since. Love you and miss you Josh! Bye bye 'til I see you again!
Sorry for your loss
Sorry Man. I hope you’ll reunite with him one day.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my brother a few months ago 💔
I’m sorry for your loss
Has so many emotions poured into it, sweet nostalgia, anger, joy, sadness
THIS SONG NEVER GETS OLD. BEEN LISTENING TO IT SINCE 2005. STILL FRESH.
Don McClean is a magnificent storyteller.
"McClean", really? 😂
Brush it's Don McLean 😅😅😂😂
Sorry it's bruh not brush
The best!
This song was the first song I ever became obsessed with, at the tender age of 4 years old. My mother had it on cassette and I warped the ribbon by playing and rewinding the song so many times it snapped. It wasn't until I was a teenager that the irony of that hit me. Folk music is still my favorite genre
It's June 3, 2023 and this wonderful song. Is still a big hit and I'm happy! I was 11 years old when it came out. Now I'm 62 and it still resonates with me. As much as it did back then. Thank you Don McLean and thank you to whoever made this video! You did a great job!
😊 🥧 ❤ 🥳 🎶 🎉🥰 🎼 👄🎵
this is a beautiful comment thank you for sharing i’m a 14 year old and this is my absolute favorite song it has such a powerful timeless message
@@444_aidan
Thank you Aiden! That's so kind of you to say. 😊
There is no top-40 or popular song like this. This is a thoughtful 8 minute anthology that fondly captures the events and the feelings of "our" age for a couple of decades.
This song is extremely and deeply touching. These are such simple words, but they carry so many meanings. A true poetry that I will never get tired of hearing! Wonderful!
I had a nasty experience at my last school so we switched to homeschooling for 6 months and I was tutored by some of the most awesome people I've ever met with such different personalities connected wonderfully..similar to the Beatles.
What relates this song to them was at my send-off party to Art school this year. As I said Goodbye to all of them when they were leaving our house this song started playing from my playlist. Listening to it now so many memories come back of having my life change within 6 months.
Thanks Don!
One of the key tracks of my childhood & beyond. The ultimate "loss of innocence" song. Thanks for the glorious, moving illustrations! ✌️♥️🎶
Still my favorite tracks also.. where you from?
Grieving for America right now. This felt right.
For me too
And the three men I admire the most, the father, son and holy ghost, they caught the last train for the coast...
Same here. It’s the reason I went to this video.
Same
Nov 5, 2024 the day America died
Ive been jamming to this song since '72, glad to see a lot of younger people liking this song
i'm 27 and i love it. i hope to see the new tiktok generation keep it alive, too
I'm 13, and I love this song. I'm forver grateful to my dad for introducing me to it.
I’m 15 and I love it
When I was a little baby, my mom used to sing this song to me because she didn’t know any lullabies but she knew this by heart. Then I see this gets posted and it brings a tear to my eye every time.
What a sweet memory. You had a lovely mother
I do.
@@lizardgaming6597 you are very blessed to have her!
overrated
I know this song when I was 14, my tenant played this song and 'Beautiful Sunday' when his presence. It's almost 50 years. Right now, most of Hong Kongers, who are fond of music from the US, have no longer lived in HK
"I was a lonely teenage Broncin buck, with a pink carnation and a pick-up truck"
Always loved that line
I woke up this morning with that part of this song zipping thru my head. I had to listen to it!
this line struck me too. just gorgeous
"And a 'pick me up' truck
I am listening on Thursday 16th January 2025, still a fantastic song years later, Thank You Don.
Yes, Don, the music will save my mortal soul. This music. Your music. Thanks 4ever
Yup
Jesus loves you and wants you to follow Him ❤ He is the way, the truth, and the life. I was an atheist for years until I had a supernatural encounter with Jesus that profoundly changed my life. The gift of salvation and eternal life is available to all who put their trust in Jesus. He can heal you of the deepest pain, trauma, disease, addictions, and shame. Seek Him with a genuine and humble heart and He will reveal His existence to you.
I've loved this song for years,it's so emotional and actually quite breathtaking! His choice of lyrics,music and absolute emotion he put into this song is outstanding!
Our oldest son was 5 years old when this was number one and played on the radio all the time. We were in the car and this song came on the radio and my 5-year-old was singing along and I'll never forget him singing, "good ole boys drinking whisky and rye, saying this'll be the day I die. This'll be the day that I die." His head was held high and back and just singing with all his might. I can see it just as clear as I did that summer day in 1973. It's a memory I will always cherish.
I play this song whenever I'm feeling sad or nostalgic about life and the people I was blessed to have known and miss dearly. It reminds me how life can be terrifying, joyful or just plain bewildering sometimes but we're so lucky to experience it.
How could it be said and understood any more clearly than you did👍🇺🇸
What a beautiful piece of music! Hats off to Don McLean!
yes and Buddy Holly
Someone give him 69 likes
This track was written about a an aeroplane crash in the 60s I think that none other Mr Elvis avoided! Orchestrated by white so called right wing conservative Christian extremists, a life is a life!!!!!!!!!!
overrated
Ah that much is true! Mr McLean's track was definitely not overrated at all.
I guess it goes on & on, that what Good Visionary and meaningful Music can do as Time goes by etc? That's what it does, it never dies!!!!!!!
Yet it is also very true many have fallen by the wayside hence, for quite simply expressing their Music, ideas or feelings, which was not acceptable to some who made them pay the ultimate sacrifice. 'Premeditive' and left little evidence except for the sensitive ones in the know of course, I guess also that's why they get away with it, I hope it doesn't keep happening?
Nostalgia is good, it shows us where we are and what we were but dont get hung up on it, it guides us to making better decisions.
For all the younger folks, it would be great to have a list of events that this song references to better understand just how great this song is.
Polyphonic did exactly that in one of his videos
It's the day the music died the day of the plane crash and lost good singers like The Big Bopper
Right there with freebird
overrated
Im pretty sure there are references to Bob Dylan Rolling Stone song, The verse with hands were clenched in fists of rage has to do with the Rolling stones concert at Altamont.. they hired the Hells Angels as security and if I remember right there were murders by “security” there. Then riots. With the fires.. Lennon read a book of Marx.. not Lenin.. John Lennon. A verse about the sergeants was Sgt Peppers lonely hearts band.. etc. Anyway.. great sing. Rock was changed after Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died. In the song anyway..
What a classic...the good old days...this song makes me lonely and I don't know why...WOW!
At seventy years of age, I still cry and remember when the music died in my life. Dear children, please hold on to everything you can, and remember this moment always
❤
My dad told me a story about Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper when I was young. I didn't really believe him as I couldn't believe there was someone named the Big Bopper. Years later, watching the movie La Bamba, I understood it finally and the great loss that happened on that plane. This song reminds me of both of these moments
Hello Chris
I could sing the whole song in my teens. I'm 68 now. Brings back lots of old memories. This was music I studied with. I'm going to sing it at my next class reunion.
please do it, i'm 27! keep this jam alive. we love you ❤
I'm 18 studying with this song. History repeats itself with such beauty
@subramax im 11, please bring this song back!!
Always come back to this masterpiece every month. A proper timeless classic
There are some rock 'n roll, pop, rock songs that stand the test of time, that no-one can match the original with a cover, despite valiant attempts and which represent a perfection... This is one of them.
This will always be one of those songs...❤
I'm currently only 22 years old. But I can't wait to play this around my kids. And my grandkids. Lovely song
keep it alive, i'm 27 and my parents played this for me always. if i can ever afford to have children i'll do the same, haha
breeder
I was both this day, 63 years ago. Every year I play a little Buddy, a little Ritchie ... and American Pie. Thank you for the music, Don.
My dad and I would sing this song while we drive. He been gone a year. But I play this song with my kids. I may cry and think of him, but remember our road trips!
I was 11 years old when this came out. I was amazed by the lyrics and drawn to every word. Thank you Don for an anthem for us 60’s and 70’s kids.
How old are you now?
@@fajita6381 If 11 in 1971 then 63 approx is a good guess.
[Verse 1]
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 ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin', "This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
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"
[Verse 3]
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
[Chorus]
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"
[Verse 4]
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 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?
[Chorus]
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"
[Verse 5]
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 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
[Chorus]
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..."
[Bridge]
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
[Chorus]
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"
[Outro]
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"
Thankss
@@lunasaffron556 You're welcome
Good copying
@@deepto793011 that was 6 months ago you aint gonna get a response most likely
I lost my wife on 13th August 2021. This song makes me flood with tears every time I hear it. I love her so.
overrated
Sorry for your loss.
L
@@maryeunicesupremacy582 I bet you felt good saying that
“peace be with you”…
My Dad would play this on his guitar when I was a kid. He died in 2023. The song came into my head this morning and here I am listening as tears roll down my face.😢 This song will always remind me of him.
I'm so grateful to my dad, who sadly is no longer with us, for showing me really great music ❤
WOW, WOW, WOW!!! This is my favourite song of all times. Finally it also has an amazing video.
Mr. McLean, you are one of the greatest song writers of the XXth century!
Salutes from Italy.
This is one of the most brilliant if not the most brilliant rendition of lyrics. Absolutely fabulous video, as it matches typography and images impeccably with the rhythm and sync of the song. Well done!
You explained it how I wish I could
This is what I was looking for in the comments
"American Pie" was one of many great songs of my generation and I am thankful to have lived through these times before all the hate and jealousy of today, I hope this country has a resurrection and rethink all the evil we are now apart of because we are destroying ourselves from within and the future don't look bright for anyone except the evil behind l
This song is really bittersweet. It's fun and upbeat song whose lyrics are about the death of 3 singers that died in a plane crash, while also telling of American culture in the 60s. No wonder this song has such major historical significance.
This song is about the 3 that day.
A violent change of an entire way of life; music, motherhood, family, church/God, and innocence. A societal shift. A distrust and tension between; the
youth/mature, man/woman,
God/science, and peace/war, anarchy/stability. For some it was a time of experimentation, euphoria, and excitement. For others it was a time of unease, fear, and injustice. Having lived the time, that's my opinion anyway.
The song has nostalgic themes,[20] stretching from the late 1950s until late 1969 or 1970. Except to acknowledge that he first learned about Buddy Holly's death on February 3, 1959 - McLean was age 13 - when he was folding newspapers for his paper route on the morning of February 4, 1959 (hence the line "February made me shiver/with every paper I'd deliver"), McLean has generally avoided responding to direct questions about the song's lyrics; he has said: "They're beyond analysis. They're poetry."[21] He also stated in an editorial published in 2009, on the 50th anniversary of the crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (who are alluded to in the final verse in a comparison with the Christian Holy Trinity), that writing the first verse of the song exorcised his long-running grief over Holly's death and that he considers the song to be "a big song ... that summed up the world known as America".[22] McLean dedicated the American Pie album to Holly.
Some commentators have identified the song as outlining the darkening of cultural mood, as over time the cultural vanguard passed from Pete Seeger and Joan Baez (the "King and Queen" of folk music), then from Elvis Presley (known as "the King" of Rock and Roll), to Bob Dylan ("the Jester" - who wore a jacket similar to that worn by cultural icon James Dean, was known as "the voice of his generation" ("a voice that came from you and me"),[23] and whose motorcycle accident ("in a cast") left him in reclusion for many years, recording in studios rather than touring ("on the sidelines"), to The Beatles (John Lennon, punned with Lenin, and "the Quartet" - although McLean has stated the Quartet is a reference to other people[6]), to The Byrds (who wrote one of the first psychedelic rock songs, "Eight Miles High", and then "fell fast" - the song was banned, one of the group entered rehabilitation (known colloquially as a "fallout shelter"), and shortly after, the group declined as it lost members, changed genres, and alienated fans), to The Rolling Stones (who released Jumpin' Jack Flash and Their Satanic Majesties Request ("Jack Flash", "Satan", "The Devil"), and used Hells Angels - "Angels born in Hell" - as event security, with fatal consequences, bringing the 1960s to a violent end[24]), and to Janis Joplin (the "girl who sang the blues" but just "turned away" - she died of a heroin overdose the following year).
It has also been speculated that the song contains numerous references to post-World War II American political events, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy (known casually as "Jack") and subsequent killing of his assassin (whose courtroom trial obviously ended as a result ("adjourned"),[25] the Cuban Missile Crisis ("Jack be nimble, Jack be quick"),[26] the murders of civil rights workers Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner,[27] and elements of culture such as sock hops ("kicking off shoes" to dance, preventing damage to the varnished floor), cruising with a pickup truck,[25][28] the rise of the political protest song ("a voice that came from you and me"), drugs and the Counterculture, the Manson Family's and murders in the "summer swelter" of 1969 (the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter") and much more.[6]
Many additional and alternative interpretations have also been proposed.
For example, Bob Dylan's first performance in Great Britain was also at a pub called "The King and Queen", and he also appeared more literally "on the sidelines in a (the) cast" - as one of many stars at the back far right of the cover art of the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ("the Sergeants played a marching tune").[26]
The song title itself is a reference to apple pie, an unofficial symbol of the United States and one of its signature comfort foods,[29] as seen in the popular expression "As American as apple pie".[30] By the twentieth century, this had become a symbol of American prosperity and national pride.[30]
When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean jokingly replied, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to."[31] Later, he stated, "You will find many interpretations of my lyrics but none of them by me ... Sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence."[32] He also commented on the popularity of his music, "I didn't write songs that were just catchy, but with a point of view, or songs about the environment."
In February 2015, however, McLean announced he would reveal the meaning of the lyrics to the song when the original manuscript went for auction in New York City, in April 2015.[33] The lyrics and notes were auctioned on April 7, and sold for $1.2 million.[34] In the sale catalogue notes, McLean revealed the meaning in the song's lyrics: "Basically in 'American Pie' things are heading in the wrong direction. ... It [life] is becoming less idyllic. I don't know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense."[35] The catalogue confirmed some of the better-known references in the song's lyrics, including mentions of Elvis Presley ("the king") and Bob Dylan ("the jester"), and confirmed that the song climaxes with a description of the death of Meredith Hunter at the Altamont Free Concert, ten years after the plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and Richardson.[35]
Mike Mills of R.E.M. reflected: "'American Pie' just made perfect sense to me as a song and that's what impressed me the most. I could say to people this is how to write songs. When you've written at least three songs that can be considered classic that is a very high batting average and if one of those songs happens to be something that a great many people think is one of the greatest songs ever written you've not only hit the top of the mountain but you've stayed high on the mountain for a long time."[36]
Excellent, I was aware of most of the meaning, .but that enlightens alot of my guesses! Lol thx for your knowledge on this . It's more than just a great great epic musical wonder!
Thank you for writing this comment!
Excellent analysis! Thank you for your contribution
There are also references to Marty Robbins's song "A White Sport Coat And A Pink Carnation", and the TV show "Lost in Space". Excellent analysis, jim monroe. (I remember the constant intense analyses of these lyrics when the song was first released: numerous articles were written and everyone had an opinion.) 🙂
@@christopherscott1336 he copied the entire thing from Wikipedia. 😅 Notice the [source] after every few sentences.
When I was a little kid, my Dad would play this for me countless times because he knew how much I loved this song.
So when he passed away, after a three year battle of A.L.S.😢
I wrote a parody of this song as a tribute to my late father.
VERSE 1
Long long time ago,
I can still remember how his music used to make us smile.
A 1959 born man,
thought he had a long lifespan,
and we could all be together for a while.
But 2016 made us shiver, for his right leg began to quiver,
it got worse with each step, he couldn’t take one more step.
He wrote software he could upload, used computers, and advanced codes,
and now sun’s set on his road, we call it his ORANGE ASPHALT.
Oh my my Stephen was a smart guy,
he has been here, for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides,
saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side.
VERSE 2
Did you know he met a girl,
at university where his life unfurled, for she you see was his future love.
Their relationship began as friends of course,
despite flaws love’s a greater force,
and yes they were both blessed by the lord above.
Oh
he purposed and became engaged, and their requested marriage was arranged,
they were the best of husbands and wives, it was the best day of their lives.
They had 3 great kids who they both adore, and one married a man of Canadian lore,
but sadly the great wedding wasn’t before our man Stephen’s ORANGE ASPHALT.
I started singing
My my Stephen was smart guy,
he has been here, for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides’
saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side.
VERSE 3
Now for decades music was a loved thing, he cherished with his beloved siblings, and wow what a very merry group they were.
Yes
their loving parents were so filled with joy, they were deeply proud of their girls and their boys, it was an extraordinary concert yes sir.
Well
he passed his great love for the art, to his 3 kids he loved with all his heart, he entertained them with his gift, and their spirits he did lift.
Yeah
on his great guitar he was indeed a bliss, and he truly was a musical artist,
his musical hands will sorely be missed, oh yes after his ORANGE ASPHALT.
We started singing
My my Stephen was a smart guy,
he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides’
saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side.
VERSE 4
Destination visitation anticipation for vacation, he loved one spot in this whole nation.
Yes up in York Maine was a sensation, at his vast family’s cabin’s location, his thing was nature hiking exploration.
Oh
Bar Harbor, and Jordon Pond, and Mount Cadillac, Black woods and beyond, on the island he loved it all, Mount Desert Island it is called.
Yes
Steve loved the state of Maine the very best, yes his favorite in the hemisphere of the west,
Maine mourns the loss of one of it’s guests, oh yes after Steve’s ORANGE ASPHALT
Maine started singing
My my Stephen was a smart guy,
he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides,
saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side.
VERSE 5
Oh this song’s title I’ll explain what that is, it’s long story but it goes something like this, it all started with a video game.
It has a
total of 30 levels it’s true, and we advanced to the level 22, and yes orange asphalt is that level’s given name.
Because
you control a motorcycle, on a sunset lit road for a while, Stephen took that level to heart, I guess that was his favorite part.
Because
ever since then he asked from morning to 9, may I name this after, favorite level of mine,
we will treasure late Steve’s famous line, “Can I call this ORANGE ASPHALT?”.
He’s probably singing
My my Stephen was a smart guy,
he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides,
saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side.
VERSE 6
We already missed Stephen yes, when he had been cursed with A.L.S., we miss the man he used to be.
We took the task to help our man, in any possible way we can, the bad illness proceeded unfortunately.
On July 10 2019, his fate we feared had been seen, and zero words were spoken, the hearts of us were broken.
And the level Steve admired best, I took to my heart cross my chest,
I named the song you know the rest, Steve may call it ORANGE ASPHALT.
And I was singing….
My my Stephen was a smart guy,
he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides,
saying one day you’ll be by my side, one day you’ll be by my side.
FINALE
We were singing….
My my Stephen was a smart guy,
he has been here for 60 years, now he says his good-byes,
he’s in Heaven, that’s where today he resides,
saying one you’ll be by my side.
This is a beautiful tribute to your father, he would have been so proud.
It's only been 3 years, I'm real sorry for your loss.
@@Tsch6373 Thank you for your condolences.
That's a lovely tribute to your dad. He is looking down on you, very proud and guiding you always from heaven.
@@LindaPerry_337 😊❤️
I'm so sorry, this song is wonderful god bless u
we are..
RiP Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens...
I just watched La Bamba with my kids, I had been waiting few years till they were old enough, great movie, great nusic and thanks Dad for always playing their nusic when i grew up.
This lyric video is utterly beautifully done. The differing use of fonts and imagery for each verse helps to add to the meaning(s) behind this epic narrative song. It is truly one of the greatest songs of the 20th century and the meanings of it are literally being debated constantly (even though Don McLean broke his silence over the meaning in 2022); this video continues to add to that discussion!
My grandfather (on my mom's side) passed on this year on January 22, and we played this at his funeral last week.
I may not have had to many memories of him, but the ones I do have I will cherish forever.
I'm sorry for your loss
I am sorry for your loss
Kindda crazy but i heard this song with my mom back in 2019 when i went with her to do her cancer exams. We were in the car and she was singing this song with me with a big smile. She passed away 3.5 years ago, I still miss her.
Today is her birthday and I’ll always come back to this song
I am sorry for you I like the to
I'm so sorry for your loss. The way you wrote this almost brought me to tears 😢
I still remember singing this. It's one of my favorites. To think this song will continue living when i am gone. Thank you for the memory.
I came of age in the 70’s. Best decade ever. Glad to be born in 58 and spend my teenage years there and so sorry for all who didn’t.
I say Hello from Russia! From man,who touched 70-80's in USSR! Trust me,Man, we had old good times too! So I just want send lot of good wishes to you and your kind!
I'm a product of 1958 who also came to age in the 70's and I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, the 70's were the best years of my life as well.
I was 14 when American Pie came out. The 70s were a great decade to be a teen. The music, the clothes, the whole vibe.
@@ggamos9831 American Pie, what a game changer that was, I was 13 when it was released and I absolutely loved it.
I agree with all of the above comments, born in 59. My teen years were the best ever!