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American Pie Lyrics: A long, long time ago / I can still remember how that music / Used to make me smile / And I knew if I had my chance / That I could make those people...
- 9 min
"American Pie" is a song by American singer and songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was the number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 and also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
- Intro
- Chorus
- Verse 1
- Verse 2
- Verse 3
- Verse 4
- Breakdown
“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.” Right from the beginning, McLean refers to his childhood, thinking about the times when he would listen to the likes of Buddy Holly. He also lays out his car...
“So bye-bye, Miss American Pie, Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry.” Apple pie is synonymous with Americana, so saying goodbye to “Miss American Pie” is symbolic of a generation passing the torch. As for the levee being dry, that line can be a bit confusing if you don’t know McLean’s backstory. He was a regular at a bar called The L...
“Did you write the book of love, And do you have faith in God above, If the Bible tells you so?” The first line in this verse is one of the most commonly misinterpreted, with many believing that there’s a deeper meaning. Instead, McLean is referencing a couple of songs from his favorite era of music. The Monotones came out with “The Book Of Love” w...
“Now, for ten years we’ve been on our own, And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone.” With the release of this song in 1971, McLean likely began writing in 1969. That would mark a decade since the Buddy Holly plane crash, hence the line about people being on their own for ten years. From here, things get very complicated lyrically as there can be a lo...
“Helter skelter in a summer swelter, The birds flew off with a fallout shelter.“ Continuing The Beatles references, McLean mentions “Helter Skelter,” which refers to one of their songs, as well as Charles Manson. Next, McLean gives up a couple of nods to the band The Byrds but mentions that their music changed for the worse in the 1960s with mariju...
“Oh, and there we were, all in one place, A generation lost in space.” The culmination of this era of music was at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, which is where we start in the penultimate verse. McLean actually saw this festival as a bit of a time waster when it could’ve been used for something more useful. Around that time, The Rolling Stones becam...
“I met a girl who sang the blues, And I asked her for some happy news, But she just smiled and turned away.” Finally, McLean starts to reflect toward the end of “American Pie.” It was believed that the girl ‘who sang the blues’ was Janis Joplin, who could help keep the Buddy Holly era of music alive. Sadly, she passed away from a heroin overdosein ...
- 9 min
Don McLean Lyrics. "American Pie". 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.
Don McLean's American Pie is generally regarded as a tribute to Buddy Holly and a commentary on how rock and roll changed in the years since his death. There are thought to be several Dylan references in the song.
Jan 14, 2022 · Exactly 50 years ago on January 15th, Don McLean’s seminal song “American Pie” hit No. 1 on Billboard charts. A classic in every sense of the word.
- Ethan Reese
- Contributor
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"American Pie" is a song by American singer and songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released in 1971 on the album of the same name, the single was the number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 starting January 15 after just eight weeks on the US Billboard charts (where it entered at number 69).
