Thanks for doing this one. This is an iconic song in American music. There was a plane crash in February 1959, it killed 3 Rock and Roll stars Buddy Holly, Richie Valence and JP Richardson (the Big Bopper). It became known as "the day the music died." Maclean wrote this song 10 years later, and it tells the story of the music industry from 1959 to 1969, with all sorts of references and allusions and symbolism. It's really amazing. (For example some people think the Jester refers to Bob Dylan, the King refers to Elvis, the Quartet refers to the Beatles etc). There are websites that try to explain what all the lyrics mean. Great reaction as always! (Also, that picture isn't Don Maclean, it's Bob Dylan fyi) 0:53
Don McLean is a really great storyteller I must say👏🥹💔. Thanks for the info! And for the picture, I know better now. I had no idea that wasn’t Don McLean 🤦♀️
Very good, but the Jester is a reference to Jerry Lee Lewis who took the crown from Elvis when he was time in the Army, the reference Father the son and Holy Ghost is Father J P Richardson, the son Richie Valence and Holy ghost Buddy Holly.
@@southerneruk I was under the assumption that the father son and holy ghost referred to John F Kennedy, Martin luther King and Robert Kennedy, all assassinated during the '60's.
@@southerneruk McClean said at one time that the Jester was Bob Dylan, who was poised to take the crown from Elvis, until the Beatles came along and changed everything. He later denied this, referring to the military industrial complex and other, somewhat off-the-wall metaphors, which led me to believe he was hoping to extend the mysteries longer.
@southerneruk south I've read the Jester referred to as several different people. There really aren't many definites for most of this song, as Maclean has never really explained it fully. (Some references are explicit, like Lennon, and the Byrds, etc)
Bob Dylan?😮 That’s the photo on the video of the song I listened to. I had only seen Don McLean a few times from watching Vincent. Didn’t know it wasn’t him🤦♀️
I had the great fortune of seeing Don McLean in concert years ago as he performed this signature song. It still gives me goosebumps (as I believe it gave you)! And, as always, I enjoyed your heartfelt reaction to this epic song. You are a natural!!
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash the day the music died. You showed his picture. Now jump down the Bob Dylan rabbit hole. Maybe the greatest songwriter to ever live.
I love this song. It was also one of my father's favourites so we played it at his funeral 21 years ago. To this day I can barely listen to it without getting emotional and thinking of him. I'm a grown man in my 50's. I've battled through life and can cope with just about everything that can be thrown at me. But sometimes I have to turn it off before it has finished. It's a good day when I can make it through the whole song. I miss him.
Music is very powerful and there certain songs when you lose a loved one you can no longer listen to like Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce...I lost my younger brother 3 years ago for example.
This song is a great American classic. I enjoyed the look on your face when the song went up tempo. I was too young when this song was popular but I think the meaning behind is universal enough that any genre could appreciate this timeless classic.
Thank you for this genuine, heartfelt reaction. We heard these songs so often on the radio that they became caricatures and parodies. We need these reminders from reactors like you to remember how awesome these songs are.
Great to see you exposing this great song, one of the best in music history, to a generation unfamiliar with it. Sometimes you just have to listen carefully to a song without distraction to really appreciate it's worth. Then you will never forget it. Blessings.
Janis Joplin, "The Girl That Sang The Blues" - My #1 favorite and biggest hit - Me and Bobby McGee - the one that was released after she died and hit the top of the charts. Also - Piece Of My Heart
The live version of Ball and Chain is awesome. Cass Eliot of The Mamas and the Papas is shown in the audience. Her reaction to Janis says it all. She was a treasure beyond price.
The song starts with a young Don delivering the newspapers that told of the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in the winter of 1959 (Feb 3rd) in a plane crash. He references the event with the lyrics 'And as the plane climbed high in to the night to light the sacrificial rite I saw Satan dancing with delight the day the music died." The second half of the song takes place 10 years later with references to The Beatles and The Byrds. It is a remarkable song that Mr. McClean said practically wrote itself. As for you young lady, that was one of my favorite Mo reactions of all time. It was FANTASTIC!! Take care my friend, Rick (still hoping you will react to Meatloaf's Two Out Of Three Aint Bad)🙂
Several people have explained the meanings of certain lines of the song but one of the main lines is one that people rarely explain. Don says, "this will be the day that I die" multiple times throughout the song. This is a reference to one of Buddy Holly's most famous songs called, "That'll Be The Day" in which Buddy Holly says in the chorus "that'll be the day when I die". So, writing about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly (and the others), Don McLean used a variation of that line.
I really enjoy this song. One of the first songs I learned to play on my guitar. I love your reactions, beautiful lady. Keep up the good work. Peace and love always...
Hi, Mo. Loved your reaction to this song. After reading a few comments about the thumbnail being Bob Dylan I tried to verify it or find out why it wasn't Don McLean. Sooo many theories about the song, it made my head spin. Just gonna say i like it and leave it at that. Thanks for sharing 👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Older Americans might understand the meaning of the lyrics on a first listen, but being a young African you likely had no idea before you read people’s comments. The song has a timeless and universal appeal even without fully understanding it. Don’s beautiful voice is captivating. There are a number of change ups in the music that are absolutely perfect. It’s definitely his most memorable song.
I seriously doubt that even "older Americans" fully understood the lyrics; especially not on a first listen. Speaking for myself, I turned 18 the year this song was published and it was very few references I understood (if any at all). E.g. I had never heard the word "levee" before, so I had to look it up (it still did not make much sense to me). It took me well over 40 years to get most of the references (some of which are still quite ambiguous). Then again, I am Swedish. 😏
Wonderful reaction as always Baby Girl! This song is subject to a lot of interpretations. Don McLean has called this song a complicated parable, open to many interpretations. He's quoted as saying "People ask me if I left the lyrics open to ambiguity. Of course I did. I wanted to make a whole series of complex statements. The lyrics had to do with the state of society at the time." According to McLean, the song represents a shift from the naive and innocent 50's to the darker days of the 60's. Hope this helps Baby Girl❤
Even after all these years, Such a catchy tune/Lyrics and a great arrangement, starting off with just a piano, rocking it through the story, then taking it out with just acoustic. I gotta hand it to Mclean's band..they kept it tight!! Yeah, good points and pick, Mo!
First time I've heard the long version! Thank you very much.. By the way the Photo is Bob Dylan and as below in other comments it's about three of the top musicians of their time Dying in a Plane crash, thanks again 👍
I heard this song for the first as a little kid because my parents liked it so much. All of the symbolism went over my head of course, so I took it quite literally with no metaphor and it was still such a fantastic song. You don't have to 'know what it means' or whatever to appreciate it. But I'm sure it helps on some level. Great song.
Thank you for listening to this one, this is a song that everyone can love but is very American. Its difficult for someone not from America and not from the time to really understand.
The final verses before the last chorus refers to The Rolling Stones free concert at Altamont which is viewed by many as the end of the 1960's idealism, and from that point forward America took more of a revolutionary tone, which continues (left vs right) till this day, thus McLean is using the concert at Altamont as a euphemism for the day the music died. It starts as a reference to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valence and the Big Bopper, but in that final verse it's a euphemism for Altamont and the end of the 60's idealism. Just so you know, The Stones hired the Hells Angels as bodyguards for the Altamont concert, a fight broke out and some people rushed the stage, it was pretty chaotic, but apparently one of the Hells Angels stabbed or shot a kid and killed him. The whole final verse before the slow ending is all about the Stones and Altamont. At the time it was believed The Stones were singing "Sympathy for the Devil" when all hell broke loose. It's since been denied, but when McLean wrote this song that was still the prevailing wisdom. That's why the verses talks about Jack Flash (Jumping Jack Flash, a euphemism for Mick Jagger) sitting on a candlestick cause fire is the devils only friend, and the verses about "no Angel born in hell" (Hells Angels) could break that Satan's spell. Anyway, the entire song is filled with metaphors, euphemisms and symbolism that way. For example, the Sergeants playing a marching tune refers to the Beatles (Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band). He also refers to the Beatles at the height of their popularity, when he says the players (other singers/bands) tried to take the field, but the marching band refused to yield. Anyway, when the song was released it became an American anthem, everyone understood the lyrics. Of course not so much anymore. It's still a great song, but the lyrics need to be explained to a younger generation.
Darn near every verse in this song has Historical meanings to the early years on Rock n Roll! You really should follow the History of it and you will make alot of sense to everything that was sung in this Masterpiece of music and poetry...
I've probably heard this song hundreds of times, and after time, you forget about what songs are really about and how you felt the first time you heard it.. What I love about your videos is that it brings me back to the first time I heard these songs. I get to see your reactions it reminds of why I love songs like this.
Thx for this beauty reaction So what i can say , Life is right infront of you ... follow your way , go on and on ... and the Lord will be the one who take you to enjoy one more again the Harmonie of Life . Some never die , thx Don
when I was in Grade 4 way back in the early mid 1970s our Teacher would play Guitar and sing this song every Music Class, we would all sing the course... I think we had to learn it to pass Music... A memory SOooo long ago :)
Hi Morenikeji. I miss this kind of music always to day , it’s special music ! I love the music from the 70 ‘s and 80’s very much. You look beautiful today 😍. Thanks for your choice and Love from Holland. 👍👏😘🙋🏼♂️🇳🇱
hello my favourite baby girl! 💖 sorry for the delay in commenting. I'm sure you've had 6 days of comments describing the various meanings of the song, so i will just add that Don Maclean is so poetic with his lyrics, conjuring up such strong images. Another great song of his, is "Empty Chairs", but i should warn you to have a box of tissues close by! As always, lovely to see your heartfelt reaction. Lots of Love 😘
I love your reactions, but your face in this one was priceless as the song unfolded! It is most definitely a masterpiece and most Americans know it word for word. It came out in the early 70's and is still quite popular today. Keep up the good work!
Hi Mo, Can I begin saying you look extra lovely today 🥰 ... great reaction, and thank you for bringing us this song. I remember when this song would come on the radio when I was a kid and we would always sing the chorus. This always seemed like a happy song back then until later in life I realized what it was talking about. That and the childhood memories of singing this with my friends out in the yard and now watching you enjoying the song is bringing all those memories back and kinda gets me emotional. Have a wonderful rest of the week my friend ❤you are the best.
...I was surprised to notice you wern't mouthing the chorus by the middle and certainly by the end of the song. 'Bye, Bye Miss American Pie...the Day, the Music Died'. It's so contagious.
Your face is a picture Mo ... plenty of commenters explaining the meaning and what day the music died referred to. We could tell you recognised you were hearing something special. Enjoyed you enjoying this. Rock on girl
I believe the reason there is a picture of Bob Dylan is that many people believe "the jester" referred to in the song was Bob Dylan. Also "the king" was Elvis Presley. Thank you for listening this great song!
I doubt I have heard a song from Bob Dylan yet. So I had no idea it was him. All my belief with this video is that that is Don McLean. However I noticed a difference when I saw Don McLean’s Vincent this evening. But somehow I didn’t figure that the person in the photo isn’t him.🤦🏼♀️
@@MorenikejiTaiwo Yeah, that's Bob Dylan's picture used in the thumbnail. Butt he is most likely referenced in the song as well. Listen to Bob Dylan's Tangled Up in Blue, Subterranean Homesick Blues or Knocking on Heaven's Door. He's the legend that he is for his songs the Times They Are A'Changin', and A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall though.
There are references to songs and musicians and historical things all over the place in this masterpiece. Most young people who did not live in the era do not really "get" this song when hearing it for the first time. . But they do recognize that it is poetry, great story telling. This is not "just another song." You need to read an article on this song to fully understand what you heard girl...for example the line "I met a girl who sang the blues" is Janis Joplin, who died at age 27. "the father, son and holy ghost" refers to President John F. Kennedy, his younger brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, who were all assassinated in the 1960's. I don't why they put up Bob Dylan's picture the entire song, that's NOT who died or who's music died etc. He is is referred to in the song but putting his photo up the entire song is very misleading.
The day the music died is an event that happened in February of 59. Is a part of American history. Of course that was so long ago. Before you was born i understand you don't know what's the Singer sings about. Thank you for react to this song. As always I enjoy your reaction. I love you Morenikeji.❤
Your reaction was beautiful, i loved watching your face change and react as the music did. Open, honest, and wonderful. Although the Dylan picture was interesting, it belonged in the jester references in the song. Anyway, wonderful reaction. Watching you hear it for the first time brought me back to myself hearing it the first time. Thank you.
Super important song here in USA, no one knows why! Well, just kidding a bit, but truly no one has the final interpretation of this wonderful piece of art enjoyed by everyone, almost. I am once again touched by your ability to listen from the heart the first time, really hear it, this music. Thanks for a little soulshine! Much love baby sister, ❤❤❤
I was an 8th grader attending print shop at the last period of the day when I heard of the plane crash and the loss of 3 of my very best favorites. Never really got over it. Thank you for your reaction.
Two things about the song appear not to be explained in the places I've looked. 1. Where did "Bye-bye Miss American Pie" come from? 2. What about driving a Chevy to the levee? I have potential answers to both. Note "potential." This song is saying goodbye to an era represented by the Miss America contest and "As American as apple pie." Squash these together and you get the song line. Maybe. Dinah Shore had a television show where she sang "See the USA in your Chevrolet." A commercial done by the show's host. One line goes something like "On a highway or a road along the levee." The Dinah Shore show epitomized that era in some ways. Where else would Don have come up with that specific rhyme. This is a possible source of that line. The levee being dry was another way of saying that era is over. I would enjoy seeing the ideas from others.
Watching your face during these videos is an exercise in pure joy! Don't worry about little quirks like the wrong photo - just keep posting, Baby-Girl!!
Thanks a lot for this🙏🥺. I honestly didn’t know that the poster of the song used Bob Dylan instead of Don McLean. It was the comments that made me realize that. I feel bad for not noticing honestly.😔
An ABBA challenge for you: "Slipping through my fingers". Interested to see how far you get without crying. It brings this 78 year old man to tears EVERY TIME. It is excellent.
A reporter once asked Don McLean what the lyrics in "American Pie" meant, Don said "It means I'll never have to work another day in my life." and it's true, this song made him rather wealthy. Do a Wiki Search on The Day The Music Died - too extensive to describe here, but Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper all perished in a plane crash one night. The song is basically a social commentary regarding the abstract directions popular music went during the decade of the '60s. That's Bob Dylan in the photo - don't know why they put that up.
I am pretty sure you and your fam would enjoy another composition by Don McLean named "Starry, Starry Night", a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh and his painting, Starry Night.
Something gone wrong here. The Day the Music died is such a great song and I love it. The guy you have on the piture is Bob Dylan. Dylan has wrote the most poetic songs in the world of music and as such he has received the Nobel prize of litterature as the first ever sing and song writer. I would recommend "Desolation Road", it is really a masterpiece. Or "Only A Pawn In Their Game" which he played at Martin Luthers big peace march. In case you dont know, and I am sorry if you do thus misunderstanding you, Martin Luther King is perhaps the most known black American in history
American Pie was the name of the plane that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (the Big Bobber) were in when they were killed along with the pilot.
I see fans have called out that the “ day the music died “ referrers to these great musicians all dying in a tragic plane crash. On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. They were headed to their next stop on their tour.
Like many, I had believed that the Jester was Dylan, the King was Elvis, but then I read that while McLean doesn't like to explain the lyrics, he did say in a documentary that these characters do not refer to Dylan and Elvis. He wouldn't say who the Jester is, but he did hint that the King was Jesus Christ. Mentioning the line "The Jester stole his thorny crown," McLean said, "Elvis did not have a thorny crown. Jesus Christ has a thorny crown." He said that if he meant Dylan or Elvis, he would have used their names. He did say about the song in general that the song was really about everything that was going on in America at the time. In his own words, "We were in the middle of a huge upheaval in the United States: drugs, the war in Vietnam, civil rights, cities on fire, bodies coming home every day from the war in Vietnam. I wanted to write a big song about America, and when I fused the death of Buddy Holly with these ideas, that’s when that song became what it was, but it took 10 years for me to wait for that moment to do that.” He said that the jester being on the sideline in a cast meant that things just weren't funny anymore. That leads me to suspect that the Jester was Lenny Bruce. Lenny Bruce would make scathing jokes about the way things were, and it seems McLean just reached the point where he couldn't laugh about it anymore. A lot of it had to do with Vietnam and the protests surrounding it. "The marching band refused to yield" was referring to the military-industrial complex. They wouldn't yield to the protests. The "sweet perfume" was tear gas. He said that the line "the players tried for a forward pass" came from "Bottle Up and Go," a classic blues song from Josh White. The line was "here I am in the grass, a forward pass you got to bottle up and go." There were also some more personal aspects to the song. When he sang, "For ten years, we've been on our own, and moss grows fat on a rolling stone," he said that he was talking about a strained relationship between himself and his mother following his father's death. He felt that he was becoming too sedentary and was putting on weight.
You got THE SONG !!! American Pie !!! I see that you have already got the story behind American Pie. I would add that way back then there were police TV shows that had the story line of drug users dying of overdose due to heroin that was not cut like normal and tracking down the source. Usually down to 10%. They got that from what was happening in the Los Angeles area and Janis Joplin, "The Girl That Sang The Blues" was one of the victims. She didn't test it like she normal would. - Janis Joplin Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Piece Of My Heart
On Feb. 3, 1959, rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash along with 21-year-old pilot Roger Peterson. This incident became known as “The Day The Music Died,” after Don McLean coined it in his 1971 song, “American Pie.”
Love your video. I think if you rated songs on lyrics alone, I think this would be at the very top. It takes you all the way through the boomer generation and all the ways music reflected what it was like to be alive from the 60's through the 70's. I'm sure others have mentioned this, but when he was asked what the song means, he said "it means I never have to work again." I also bet he wrote this whole thing in less than one day.
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 🤣🤣🤣🤣 It's OK 👍🏻 Doesn't matter about the photos Love you anyways Sunshine 🌞 May I suggest another great song by Jason Isbell live from Austin City Limits Song is 🎶Cover me Up 🎵 You gonna adore this song too Keep the good work Sunshine 🌞 👍🏻👏✌️
Thank you for your response - I love people re-discovering Don McLean. Just a note that you have the correct photo of him on your Vincent video, but not on this one. This one is actually of Bob Dylan, so it's incorrect. Thank you for making the video though!
Thanks for doing this one. This is an iconic song in American music. There was a plane crash in February 1959, it killed 3 Rock and Roll stars Buddy Holly, Richie Valence and JP Richardson (the Big Bopper). It became known as "the day the music died." Maclean wrote this song 10 years later, and it tells the story of the music industry from 1959 to 1969, with all sorts of references and allusions and symbolism. It's really amazing. (For example some people think the Jester refers to Bob Dylan, the King refers to Elvis, the Quartet refers to the Beatles etc). There are websites that try to explain what all the lyrics mean.
Great reaction as always!
(Also, that picture isn't Don Maclean, it's Bob Dylan fyi) 0:53
Don McLean is a really great storyteller I must say👏🥹💔.
Thanks for the info!
And for the picture, I know better now. I had no idea that wasn’t Don McLean 🤦♀️
Very good, but the Jester is a reference to Jerry Lee Lewis who took the crown from Elvis when he was time in the Army, the reference Father the son and Holy Ghost is Father J P Richardson, the son Richie Valence and Holy ghost Buddy Holly.
@@southerneruk I was under the assumption that the father son and holy ghost referred to John F Kennedy, Martin luther King and Robert Kennedy, all assassinated during the '60's.
@@southerneruk McClean said at one time that the Jester was Bob Dylan, who was poised to take the crown from Elvis, until the Beatles came along and changed everything. He later denied this, referring to the military industrial complex and other, somewhat off-the-wall metaphors, which led me to believe he was hoping to extend the mysteries longer.
@southerneruk south I've read the Jester referred to as several different people. There really aren't many definites for most of this song, as Maclean has never really explained it fully. (Some references are explicit, like Lennon, and the Byrds, etc)
Great song, but that's a photo of Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan?😮
That’s the photo on the video of the song I listened to. I had only seen Don McLean a few times from watching Vincent. Didn’t know it wasn’t him🤦♀️
Yup bob
I was just gonna say that
Bob Dylan wishes he could sing like this!😂
@@chrislillback8462 I totally agree
I had the great fortune of seeing Don McLean in concert years ago as he performed this signature song. It still gives me goosebumps (as I believe it gave you)! And, as always, I enjoyed your heartfelt reaction to this epic song. You are a natural!!
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash the day the music died. You showed his picture. Now jump down the Bob Dylan rabbit hole. Maybe the greatest songwriter to ever live.
I love this song. It was also one of my father's favourites so we played it at his funeral 21 years ago. To this day I can barely listen to it without getting emotional and thinking of him. I'm a grown man in my 50's. I've battled through life and can cope with just about everything that can be thrown at me. But sometimes I have to turn it off before it has finished. It's a good day when I can make it through the whole song. I miss him.
Music is very powerful and there certain songs when you lose a loved one you can no longer listen to like Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce...I lost my younger brother 3 years ago for example.
Don McLean paints such a visual picture with his music. This song will live on for a long time.
Forever ❤❤❤❤
The face expressions of this lady are always priceless as this classic song is played.
One of the USA's greatest songs from the 60's...iconic..gets better over time.
This song is a great American classic. I enjoyed the look on your face when the song went up tempo. I was too young when this song was popular but I think the meaning behind is universal enough that any genre could appreciate this timeless classic.
Thank you for this genuine, heartfelt reaction. We heard these songs so often on the radio that they became caricatures and parodies. We need these reminders from reactors like you to remember how awesome these songs are.
Thanks for your reaction to this classic song !
Great job on putting a smile on my face !
May Gods Blessings be with you ! 💓
Amen! Thank you so much 🙏💗
Great to see you exposing this great song, one of the best in music history, to a generation unfamiliar with it. Sometimes you just have to listen carefully to a song without distraction to really appreciate it's worth. Then you will never forget it. Blessings.
Imagine the music Buddy Holly would've made had he not died!
Don did his legacy and the others justice with this masterpiece
Janis Joplin, "The Girl That Sang The Blues" - My #1 favorite and biggest hit - Me and Bobby McGee - the one that was released after she died and hit the top of the charts. Also - Piece Of My Heart
The live version of Ball and Chain is awesome. Cass Eliot of The Mamas and the Papas is shown in the audience. Her reaction to Janis says it all. She was a treasure beyond price.
The song starts with a young Don delivering the newspapers that told of the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in the winter of 1959 (Feb 3rd) in a plane crash. He references the event with the lyrics 'And as the plane climbed high in to the night to light the sacrificial rite I saw Satan dancing with delight the day the music died." The second half of the song takes place 10 years later with references to The Beatles and The Byrds. It is a remarkable song that Mr. McClean said practically wrote itself. As for you young lady, that was one of my favorite Mo reactions of all time. It was FANTASTIC!! Take care my friend, Rick (still hoping you will react to Meatloaf's Two Out Of Three Aint Bad)🙂
Feb. 3rd
@@alanneel1369 Thanks A N . I knew that 😠I should of proof read . Fixed the OP✌ RNB
There are also references to Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones
@@ricknbacker5626 easy for me to remember it cause that was my grandmothers 18th bday
@@alanneel1369 Wpw!
Hauntingly beautiful. And so is the song.
very true
qute!
Several people have explained the meanings of certain lines of the song but one of the main lines is one that people rarely explain. Don says, "this will be the day that I die" multiple times throughout the song. This is a reference to one of Buddy Holly's most famous songs called, "That'll Be The Day" in which Buddy Holly says in the chorus "that'll be the day when I die". So, writing about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly (and the others), Don McLean used a variation of that line.
wow🥹👏
Buddy Holly got the title "That'll Be The Day" from an often repeated phrase used by John Wayne in the film "The Searchers"
Don't forget Jannis Joplin
I really enjoy this song. One of the first songs I learned to play on my guitar. I love your reactions, beautiful lady. Keep up the good work. Peace and love always...
Hi, Mo. Loved your reaction to this song. After reading a few comments about the thumbnail being Bob Dylan I tried to verify it or find out why it wasn't Don McLean. Sooo many theories about the song, it made my head spin. Just gonna say i like it and leave it at that. Thanks for sharing 👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Excellent this is a great one 👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏
Older Americans might understand the meaning of the lyrics on a first listen, but being a young African you likely had no idea before you read people’s comments. The song has a timeless and universal appeal even without fully understanding it. Don’s beautiful voice is captivating. There are a number of change ups in the music that are absolutely perfect. It’s definitely his most memorable song.
Thanks a lot🙏
I seriously doubt that even "older Americans" fully understood the lyrics; especially not on a first listen. Speaking for myself, I turned 18 the year this song was published and it was very few references I understood (if any at all). E.g. I had never heard the word "levee" before, so I had to look it up (it still did not make much sense to me). It took me well over 40 years to get most of the references (some of which are still quite ambiguous). Then again, I am Swedish. 😏
Wonderful reaction as always Baby Girl! This song is subject to a lot of interpretations. Don McLean has called this song a complicated parable, open to many interpretations. He's quoted as saying "People ask me if I left the lyrics open to ambiguity. Of course I did. I wanted to make a whole series of complex statements. The lyrics had to do with the state of society at the time."
According to McLean, the song represents a shift from the naive and innocent 50's to the darker days of the 60's. Hope this helps Baby Girl❤
Yes it did!😊
Thanks a lot
@@MorenikejiTaiwo I'm glad it did🤗 And you're very welcome!
Even after all these years, Such a catchy tune/Lyrics and a great arrangement, starting off with just a piano, rocking it through the story, then taking it out with just acoustic. I gotta hand it to Mclean's band..they kept it tight!! Yeah, good points and pick, Mo!
So good👏👏
First time I've heard the long version! Thank you very much.. By the way the Photo is Bob Dylan and as below in other comments it's about three of the top musicians of their time Dying in a Plane crash, thanks again 👍
Fabulous, iconic song. I’m so happy you got to enjoy this Mo. 😊
Thanks a lot🙏☺️
I heard this song for the first as a little kid because my parents liked it so much. All of the symbolism went over my head of course, so I took it quite literally with no metaphor and it was still such a fantastic song. You don't have to 'know what it means' or whatever to appreciate it. But I'm sure it helps on some level. Great song.
Thank you for listening to this one, this is a song that everyone can love but is very American. Its difficult for someone not from America and not from the time to really understand.
The final verses before the last chorus refers to The Rolling Stones free concert at Altamont which is viewed by many as the end of the 1960's idealism, and from that point forward America took more of a revolutionary tone, which continues (left vs right) till this day, thus McLean is using the concert at Altamont as a euphemism for the day the music died. It starts as a reference to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valence and the Big Bopper, but in that final verse it's a euphemism for Altamont and the end of the 60's idealism. Just so you know, The Stones hired the Hells Angels as bodyguards for the Altamont concert, a fight broke out and some people rushed the stage, it was pretty chaotic, but apparently one of the Hells Angels stabbed or shot a kid and killed him. The whole final verse before the slow ending is all about the Stones and Altamont. At the time it was believed The Stones were singing "Sympathy for the Devil" when all hell broke loose. It's since been denied, but when McLean wrote this song that was still the prevailing wisdom. That's why the verses talks about Jack Flash (Jumping Jack Flash, a euphemism for Mick Jagger) sitting on a candlestick cause fire is the devils only friend, and the verses about "no Angel born in hell" (Hells Angels) could break that Satan's spell. Anyway, the entire song is filled with metaphors, euphemisms and symbolism that way. For example, the Sergeants playing a marching tune refers to the Beatles (Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band). He also refers to the Beatles at the height of their popularity, when he says the players (other singers/bands) tried to take the field, but the marching band refused to yield. Anyway, when the song was released it became an American anthem, everyone understood the lyrics. Of course not so much anymore. It's still a great song, but the lyrics need to be explained to a younger generation.
Darn near every verse in this song has Historical meanings to the early years on Rock n Roll! You really should follow the History of it and you will make alot of sense to everything that was sung in this Masterpiece of music and poetry...
I've probably heard this song hundreds of times, and after time, you forget about what songs are really about and how you felt the first time you heard it.. What I love about your videos is that it brings me back to the first time I heard these songs. I get to see your reactions it reminds of why I love songs like this.
Thank you!🙏
Thx for this beauty reaction
So what i can say ,
Life is right infront of you ... follow your way , go on and on ...
and the Lord will be the one who take you to enjoy one more again the Harmonie of Life .
Some never die , thx Don
when I was in Grade 4 way back in the early mid 1970s our Teacher would play Guitar and sing this song every Music Class, we would all sing the course... I think we had to learn it to pass Music... A memory SOooo long ago :)
Hi Morenikeji. I miss this kind of music always to day , it’s special music ! I love the music from the 70 ‘s and 80’s very much. You look beautiful today 😍. Thanks for your choice and Love from Holland. 👍👏😘🙋🏼♂️🇳🇱
Thank you so much😍😍
Lots of love from Naija💗😊
A sad song but a reminder love every day. Tomorrow never promise my dear.
True🥺
hello my favourite baby girl! 💖 sorry for the delay in commenting. I'm sure you've had 6 days of comments describing the various meanings of the song, so i will just add that Don Maclean is so poetic with his lyrics, conjuring up such strong images. Another great song of his, is "Empty Chairs", but i should warn you to have a box of tissues close by! As always, lovely to see your heartfelt reaction. Lots of Love 😘
Awesome reaction Morenikeji again thanks for posting so soon we don’t like to wait to long to see that absolutely beautiful SMILE 😊 ❤️🇨🇦🙏
A love watching your expressions as the gears turn trying to figure out what this song is about!
One of the best songs ever. Thanks for checking it out : )
P.S. ❤ Your reactions
Great song ❤
The line 'this will be the day that I die' refers to the Buddy Holly song "That'll Be The Day", which has the line 'that'll be the day when I die'.
I love your reactions, but your face in this one was priceless as the song unfolded! It is most definitely a masterpiece and most Americans know it word for word. It came out in the early 70's and is still quite popular today. Keep up the good work!
Hi Mo, Can I begin saying you look extra lovely today 🥰 ... great reaction, and thank you for bringing us this song.
I remember when this song would come on the radio when I was a kid and we would always sing the chorus. This always seemed like a happy song back then until later in life I realized what it was talking about. That and the childhood memories of singing this with my friends out in the yard and now watching you enjoying the song is bringing all those memories back and kinda gets me emotional. Have a wonderful rest of the week my friend ❤you are the best.
🥺🥹
Great song. Hits on so many things.
Love, love, love your reactions! ❤
Thanks a lot!❤
...I was surprised to notice you wern't mouthing the chorus by the middle and certainly by the end of the song. 'Bye, Bye Miss American Pie...the Day, the Music Died'. It's so contagious.
Your face is a picture Mo ... plenty of commenters explaining the meaning and what day the music died referred to. We could tell you recognised you were hearing something special. Enjoyed you enjoying this. Rock on girl
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away...
Janis Joplin...
deep
I believe the reason there is a picture of Bob Dylan is that many people believe "the jester" referred to in the song was Bob Dylan. Also "the king" was Elvis Presley. Thank you for listening this great song!
I doubt I have heard a song from Bob Dylan yet. So I had no idea it was him. All my belief with this video is that that is Don McLean. However I noticed a difference when I saw Don McLean’s Vincent this evening. But somehow I didn’t figure that the person in the photo isn’t him.🤦🏼♀️
@@MorenikejiTaiwo Yeah, that's Bob Dylan's picture used in the thumbnail. Butt he is most likely referenced in the song as well. Listen to Bob Dylan's Tangled Up in Blue, Subterranean Homesick Blues or Knocking on Heaven's Door. He's the legend that he is for his songs the Times They Are A'Changin', and A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall though.
Don Mclean has denied that the Jester refers to Bob Dylan, or that The King is Elvis Presley
Janis Joplin is the girl that sang the blues.
Such a timely song. It is where we are now.
The song, Killing Me Softy, by Dionne Warwick, is about seeing Done McLean live for the first time.
Huh?
Great session players!
Don always has a story to tell Mo
I must say that Don is a very good storyteller too👏👏👏
There are references to songs and musicians and historical things all over the place in this masterpiece. Most young people who did not live in the era do not really "get" this song when hearing it for the first time. . But they do recognize that it is poetry, great story telling. This is not "just another song." You need to read an article on this song to fully understand what you heard girl...for example the line "I met a girl who sang the blues" is Janis Joplin, who died at age 27. "the father, son and holy ghost" refers to President John F. Kennedy, his younger brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, who were all assassinated in the 1960's. I don't why they put up Bob Dylan's picture the entire song, that's NOT who died or who's music died etc. He is is referred to in the song but putting his photo up the entire song is very misleading.
the 3 men he admired most were Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper - that was always my take.
@@jollyrodgers7272 JFK, RFK, MLK
@@corinnecivish7673 Maybe you should watch the UA-cam Video with Don and let him give you the meaning behind the song himself.
One of my favorites! You should check out the version that he did with "Home Free", I promise that you will LOVE it!!
50th anniversary collaboration with Don and Home Free.
Don McLean has been asked hundreds of times what is the meaning of this song. He has an answer. "It means I never have to work again."
Love your strong emotional reaction, as always, dear.
8yrs old singing this in the back of dads car /,,lol memories ah
Still waters run deep, your intensity of insight, upon hearing poetry, infinite eyes, are the heart and soul of life
I remember when this song first came out. we had the best music in the 60s amd 70s
Like/love 90% of your musical choices on which to react. Appreciate your love of the "oldies". You have a good ear, my dear.
The resemblance between Dylan and Mclean is amazing.
OMG!!! You with your hair down....❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😍😍
Always fun to see you react😊
Thank you❤😊
The day the music died is an event that happened in February of 59.
Is a part of American history.
Of course that was so long ago. Before you was born i understand you don't know what's the Singer sings about.
Thank you for react to this song. As always I enjoy your reaction.
I love you Morenikeji.❤
Very well done I like your channel! Rock on!😎👍!!
It doesn't get anymore classic than this.
This song is very special. I love songs that tell a story!
💕
Your reaction was beautiful, i loved watching your face change and react as the music did. Open, honest, and wonderful. Although the Dylan picture was interesting, it belonged in the jester references in the song. Anyway, wonderful reaction. Watching you hear it for the first time brought me back to myself hearing it the first time. Thank you.
🙏🙏😊
great reaction. this is a beautiful song. It told a story.
Super important song here in USA, no one knows why! Well, just kidding a bit, but truly no one has the final interpretation of this wonderful piece of art enjoyed by everyone, almost. I am once again touched by your ability to listen from the heart the first time, really hear it, this music. Thanks for a little soulshine! Much love baby sister, ❤❤❤
What a great Video and song ...... Danke und alles Liebe aus München, Deutschland. LG
Thanks!
Many thankssss🙏☺️
Very good reaction.👍
Great song. Reminds me of a good friend that passed away..
so sorry 🥹
@@MorenikejiTaiwo thank you so much.
I was an 8th grader attending print shop at the last period of the day when I heard of the plane crash and the loss of 3 of my very best favorites. Never really got over it. Thank you for your reaction.
🥹🥹🥹
The coat he burrowed from James Dean. Dylan started wearing a red jacket like the one James Dean Wore.
All real events in history in this song.
Great poetry set to music.
Two things about the song appear not to be explained in the places I've looked.
1. Where did "Bye-bye Miss American Pie" come from?
2. What about driving a Chevy to the levee?
I have potential answers to both. Note "potential."
This song is saying goodbye to an era represented by the Miss America contest and "As American as apple pie." Squash these together and you get the song line. Maybe.
Dinah Shore had a television show where she sang "See the USA in your Chevrolet." A commercial done by the show's host. One line goes something like "On a highway or a road along the levee." The Dinah Shore show epitomized that era in some ways. Where else would Don have come up with that specific rhyme. This is a possible source of that line. The levee being dry was another way of saying that era is over.
I would enjoy seeing the ideas from others.
Watching your face during these videos is an exercise in pure joy! Don't worry about little quirks like the wrong photo - just keep posting, Baby-Girl!!
Thanks a lot for this🙏🥺.
I honestly didn’t know that the poster of the song used Bob Dylan instead of Don McLean. It was the comments that made me realize that. I feel bad for not noticing honestly.😔
Another great choice Mo! And your facial expressions are priceless!
Ostensibly this is about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Vallens & The Big Bopper.
An ABBA challenge for you:
"Slipping through my fingers".
Interested to see how far you get without crying. It brings this 78 year old man to tears EVERY TIME. It is excellent.
A reporter once asked Don McLean what the lyrics in "American Pie" meant, Don said "It means I'll never have to work another day in my life." and it's true, this song made him rather wealthy. Do a Wiki Search on The Day The Music Died - too extensive to describe here, but Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper all perished in a plane crash one night. The song is basically a social commentary regarding the abstract directions popular music went during the decade of the '60s. That's Bob Dylan in the photo - don't know why they put that up.
Dylan is the jester in the song - or so it’s said.
The picture is Bob Dylan !!!!!hahahhahahhahhah
I thought this song was made in memory of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens.
After their plane crashed. I may be wrong.
I am pretty sure you and your fam would enjoy another composition by Don McLean named "Starry, Starry Night", a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh and his painting, Starry Night.
Something gone wrong here. The Day the Music died is such a great song and I love it. The guy you have on the piture is Bob Dylan. Dylan has wrote the most poetic songs in the world of music and as such he has received the Nobel prize of litterature as the first ever sing and song writer. I would recommend "Desolation Road", it is really a masterpiece. Or "Only A Pawn In Their Game" which he played at Martin Luthers big peace march. In case you dont know, and I am sorry if you do thus misunderstanding you, Martin Luther King is perhaps the most known black American in history
Great reaction!
American Pie was the name of the plane that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (the Big Bobber) were in when they were killed along with the pilot.
I see fans have called out that the “ day the music died “ referrers to these great musicians all dying in a tragic plane crash.
On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. They were headed to their next stop on their tour.
Like many, I had believed that the Jester was Dylan, the King was Elvis, but then I read that while McLean doesn't like to explain the lyrics, he did say in a documentary that these characters do not refer to Dylan and Elvis. He wouldn't say who the Jester is, but he did hint that the King was Jesus Christ. Mentioning the line "The Jester stole his thorny crown," McLean said, "Elvis did not have a thorny crown. Jesus Christ has a thorny crown." He said that if he meant Dylan or Elvis, he would have used their names.
He did say about the song in general that the song was really about everything that was going on in America at the time. In his own words, "We were in the middle of a huge upheaval in the United States: drugs, the war in Vietnam, civil rights, cities on fire, bodies coming home every day from the war in Vietnam. I wanted to write a big song about America, and when I fused the death of Buddy Holly with these ideas, that’s when that song became what it was, but it took 10 years for me to wait for that moment to do that.” He said that the jester being on the sideline in a cast meant that things just weren't funny anymore. That leads me to suspect that the Jester was Lenny Bruce. Lenny Bruce would make scathing jokes about the way things were, and it seems McLean just reached the point where he couldn't laugh about it anymore.
A lot of it had to do with Vietnam and the protests surrounding it. "The marching band refused to yield" was referring to the military-industrial complex. They wouldn't yield to the protests. The "sweet perfume" was tear gas. He said that the line "the players tried for a forward pass" came from "Bottle Up and Go," a classic blues song from Josh White. The line was "here I am in the grass, a forward pass you got to bottle up and go."
There were also some more personal aspects to the song. When he sang, "For ten years, we've been on our own, and moss grows fat on a rolling stone," he said that he was talking about a strained relationship between himself and his mother following his father's death. He felt that he was becoming too sedentary and was putting on weight.
You got THE SONG !!! American Pie !!! I see that you have already got the story behind American Pie. I would add that way back then there were police TV shows that had the story line of drug users dying of overdose due to heroin that was not cut like normal and tracking down the source. Usually down to 10%. They got that from what was happening in the Los Angeles area and Janis Joplin, "The Girl That Sang The Blues" was one of the victims. She didn't test it like she normal would. - Janis Joplin Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Piece Of My Heart
🥹
You are classy..you look superb. Great shoulder motions.
9:50 such a lovely reaction as usual your ❤ on your sleeve
The jester mentioned in the song was Bob Dylan.
On Feb. 3, 1959, rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash along with 21-year-old pilot Roger Peterson. This incident became known as “The Day The Music Died,” after Don McLean coined it in his 1971 song, “American Pie.”
Love your video. I think if you rated songs on lyrics alone, I think this would be at the very top. It takes you all the way through the boomer generation and all the ways music reflected what it was like to be alive from the 60's through the 70's. I'm sure others have mentioned this, but when he was asked what the song means, he said "it means I never have to work again." I also bet he wrote this whole thing in less than one day.
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's OK 👍🏻
Doesn't matter about the photos
Love you anyways Sunshine 🌞
May I suggest another great song by
Jason Isbell live from Austin City Limits Song is
🎶Cover me Up 🎵
You gonna adore this song too
Keep the good work Sunshine 🌞 👍🏻👏✌️
love the name sunshine😄💗.
Thanks a lot!❤
@@MorenikejiTaiwo
👍🏻 WELCOME 🙏🌞
Thank you for your response - I love people re-discovering Don McLean. Just a note that you have the correct photo of him on your Vincent video, but not on this one. This one is actually of Bob Dylan, so it's incorrect. Thank you for making the video though!