Don McLean
"American Pie"
American Pie
A long, long time ago"American Pie"
American Pie
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
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
Something touched me deep inside
The day...the music...died
So bye - bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin'
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above?
If the Bible tells you so
Now do you believe in rock and roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow? Well, I know that you're in love with him
Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck with a
Pink carnation and a pick up truck
But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died
I started singing
Bye - bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin'
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the King and Queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day...the music...died
We were singin'
Bye - bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin'
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Helter-skelter in the 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 that halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance, 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?
Bye - bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin'
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
And there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil's only friend
And as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day...the music...died
He was singin'
Bye - bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin'
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store where I heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day...the music...died
And they were singin'
Bye - bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin'
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die