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.
@@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.
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.
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. 💔😢
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. . . .😇
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.
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.
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.
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 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. ❤
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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 😮.
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'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 :(
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.
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
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.
"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
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
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.
my grandfather died yesterday. he used to sing this song and he knew every word. i can’t listen to don mclean without thinking about him. i miss him so much but i know that he’s singing in heaven right now. rip papo love you ♥️🎵🙏
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'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!
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!
I never knew my grandfather but this was his favorite song. He played the trombone like me and despite passing away 3 year before I was born this song makes me feel oddly connected. Thank you for 4 generations of great music
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.
South Korean president sang this and thank you for the beautiful music. So proud of my country, South Korea has come so long and thriving heroically next to the greatest country the world has ever seen (United States of America) is amazing. May USA, thrive and prosper forever! Long live the states! - much love and respect from South Korea. 진짜 우리 대통령, 한국이란 나랄를 이끄러가는 국민들이 너무 자랑스러워요. 화이팅하고, 다들 몸건강하길 바람니다!
Much love and respect from California! South Korea is a beautifully strong country and I wish to visit myself one day. So happy that in a crazy world we can all still love and appreciate each other and where we come from. Nothing but good wishes for you and South Korea! ❤
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.
Thank you to everyone that has responded to my comment about my dad's passing and the love of this song. I was 3 and would and can remember standing next to him singing it. It was a song that had a lot of meaning to it to me, not because of what or who it was written about, but because my dad and I would sing it together. My dad was in the Navy and then the Army and will always be y hero! Everyone has different opinions about the song but my opinion (memory) was we would sing it together so it held a special place in my heart. 💔 I am still trying to mend my broken heart. I certainly did not mean to bring any bad feelings to anyone about this song. I have a big heart and love everyone. ✌
I am sorry you lost your dad, but at least you have beautiful memories of him, so he will always live on in your heart and will share all the good times with you. Wish you and your family the best!
I sang it with my dad too. I used to love singing the part about jack sotting on a candle stick and Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall take care love. May your road be filled with much light to lead the way.
[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"
Ahh yes the #1 greatest and meaningful song of all time (in my own opinion) was here. A piece of track with great storytelling and lyrical performance especially to the "the day the music died" part reminds me of how music changed through the years. Thank you Mr. Don McLean and your American Pie which a half-century old now. - from 🇵🇭
Don was awesome underated in my opinion , The UK also had a version of Don , he was called Gilbert O'Sullivan probably not many remember him but if not listen to Alone again naturally it's a song to appreciate
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?
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
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.
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
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
All the references in this song is crazy. the plane crash with all the musicians, Elvis, Beatles, and more. it's crazy how much history can be in one song
It was written about Buddy Holly, Beatles were never in a plane crash. Just check it out you will find some of them still alive. Elvis didn't die in a plane crash but sadly in the bathroom.
@@debbiebeach4113 Yeah I know. I was listing some things that were referenced in the song, not the people in the plane crash but I can see how the way I worded it was confusing, oops
@@micahfitzpatrick967 oh ok, I'm not much of a music nerd per se so I was talking to my father about this song and he was saying Elvis was referenced in the song. I guess that while we were listening to this song and talking about it we misunderstood some references
And what logical sense would it be to subscribe to a artist that hasn't released a single since 1998..if the world is broken its due to the general stup!dity of America n its public spreading it to the world through news n s0cial media
The logical sense would be to show a real artist respect and support. For the algos to push it more and so more new people can find it in the future, so on and so forth. Wouldn't help if we listened to these songs on this channel so the artist gets paid in the newer ways also. Plenty of logical sense.
An amazing song about the loss of innocence for both an individual and a generation, the loss of morality ("I saw Satan laughing with delight") and the conversion of America to a secular society that believes only in material things and has foregone the spiritual and its Christian roots ("while the king was looking down, the jester stole His thorny crown," "the church bells all were broken," "they caught the last train for the coast," etc.). Truly inspired lyrics.
George Washington was a Deist, he thought there was a god, but not one described accurately in any religion. The Second President of America said “America isn’t a Christian Nation anymore than it is a Athiest or Islamic Nation.” It’s meant for everyone.
Yup… 65 years ago on February 4th, 1959 (which was way before I was born), after performing in Clear Lake, Iowa. The band was frustrated by the conditions on the bus, they chose to travel by plane to get to their next venue in my hometown of Moorhead, Minnesota… (the only airport you could land at back in the day was in Fargo, North Dakota as that was the closest airport to Moorhead). A few miles away from the airport they took off at is where the plane crashed… KVRR’s News Director Jim Monk actually did a story where he spoke with two local musicians and a son of a pop idol
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!
I remember listening to this song growing up as a kid and going to see my grandparents. They used to play this on the radio. I can still faintly smell cigarette smoke, yankee candles and a mixture of their perfume and cologne. This song will forever be timeless.
This is my favorite song from this genre, great video, for years I’ve imagined a MTV video for this, can see the story boards in my mind every time I hear it.
Fifty years ago. I got into my permanent duty station at Illesheim. Germany...the day I got there, November 8th. Three Dog Night was the most played group on AFN...Beginning in December American Pie had completely taken over as Number 1...we'd listen to Kasey Kasem's shows on AFN...American Top 40 for clues to the various meanings hidden in the song...it stayed at number 1cuntil January when America's Horse With No Name bumped it out of that spot...
Wow it’s really interesting the story behind the lyrics too my dad taught me that it was about the great artists that died in the plane crash but it gave me chills. i’m 17 btw
How was the time over here? It would be very interesting to know for me (and some other people here probably too) how it was over here as an solider in the Cold War.
Ive been listening to this song all my life. Loved it and danced to it. Then I grew up the day I realized the meaning behind the words. Now I listen with a mind full of nostalgia❤
Used to sing it at school when I was a lot younger. Most poetic, religious, polemic song ever written, in my humble opinion. Should be on the school curriculum 😊
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
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.) 🙂
On this day; May 26th, 1971....Don McLean recorded his career-defining song "American Pie".....It hit the #1 spot on the USA Billboard Hot 100 in January 1972 & is one of the most successful singles in rock history.
I listened to this song years ago. I found this song again today, and it brought me nearly to tears. I can't believe I had forgotten about this song for this long. Thank you. Thank you for making such a good song.
MUSIC 🎶 Now a days is Missing Songs like this. Born in 1965, I have a small remembrance of my very young parents than, having the Radio on with THE DOORS was on( I must have just turned 2 years), Christmas time end of 67. Music very much part of growing up ❤❤❤ AMERICAN PIE, is one I’ll never forget ❤️🔥👍🎶THANK YOU for brain storming for this creation 👍
It’s had me listening to this way more often lately. That was sooo sweet and human wasn’t it? I feel like nobody I showed it appreciated it as much. It made me feel so connected to humanity.
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!
When I was a junior in high school I was apart of the A.V. club and actually made a music video to your song because it is one of my all time favorites. And realize this was in 2003. You have touched every generation. This is a true classic. It will never die
I saw Don McLean at a high school auditorium in the mid 80's. It was him, his acoustic guitar, a mike, a stool and a bottle of water. Might have been 50 people there. He was literally great.
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'm not sure if it was intentional, but It was very fitting for the President Yoon to have chosen this song, as the fundamental American values such as democracy, individual freedom, and equality are being challenged both internally and externally, Republic of Korea stands as a shinning beacon and living testimony to prove that these values are universal human value.
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
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.
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! 🖤
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
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.
Apparently everyone’s dad loved this song
My dad has this as his ringtone and his alarm clock, so I have to wake up EVERY MORNING to this song.
As I get older I get it
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?
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.
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
@@user-po4ch3cp4q 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
@@user-rz8vx2xc1u 위대해서 국제호구라고 놀림을 받냐?
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
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
Dude "the day the music died" has to be one of the saddest possible sentences
Music was never alive. People making music are alive when you listen to music you are alive but music has never been alive
@@juanmanumanudice8848
It must be difficult always taking things literally
Aint easy these days to not be a depressive bug like you.
@@juanmanumanudice8848 r/Iamverybadass
@@hopepapernackyit’s the best way to look at things
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 😢😢
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 🎶🥁👁️🗨️🎼
@@LollykayepresleyI know (February 7th,2024 March 11,2024/🙂).
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.
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
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.
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
Don McClean is a magnificent storyteller.
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. 😂
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.
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
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'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 :(
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.
February 3, 1959 💔😢
Rest in paradise, love and music...
Ritchie Valens 🙏 🎶 🎸❤
Buddy Holly 🙏 🎶❤
The Big Bopper 🙏 🎶❤
And Roger Peterson, the pilot...
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 ❤
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
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
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?
"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
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 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.
my grandfather died yesterday. he used to sing this song and he knew every word. i can’t listen to don mclean without thinking about him. i miss him so much but i know that he’s singing in heaven right now. rip papo love you ♥️🎵🙏
Hug
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'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’ve been hearing this song my whole life. Todays the first time listening from front to back. What a masterpiece
Thank UA-cam for that... Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UA-cam
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.
Anyone whos listen in 2024?
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!!
@@michaelmoslak2975bro chill out
Me 😂
Me 😀
Yep, raised on 70s music. The best.
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!
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 never knew my grandfather but this was his favorite song. He played the trombone like me and despite passing away 3 year before I was born this song makes me feel oddly connected. Thank you for 4 generations of great music
My Grandfather liked this song,
RIP to my grandfather 🪦🕊️
"I was a lonely teenage Broncin buck, with a pink carnation and a pick-up truck"
Always loved that line
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.
Epic songs that can last generations. This is one of them.
This song makes me nostalgic for a time I did not live
South Korean president sang this and thank you for the beautiful music.
So proud of my country, South Korea has come so long and thriving heroically next to the greatest country the world has ever seen (United States of America) is amazing. May USA, thrive and prosper forever! Long live the states! - much love and respect from South Korea.
진짜 우리 대통령, 한국이란 나랄를 이끄러가는 국민들이 너무 자랑스러워요. 화이팅하고, 다들 몸건강하길 바람니다!
People in America are working overtime to destroy our country
Thank you and God bless you, for the this president is bent on killing America 🇺🇸 again thank you
Much love and respect from California! South Korea is a beautifully strong country and I wish to visit myself one day. So happy that in a crazy world we can all still love and appreciate each other and where we come from. Nothing but good wishes for you and South Korea! ❤
Respect and appreciation from Massachusetts! South Korea is an awesome country!
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”…
2024 and how are people so depressed. Memories make happiness listen to the lyrics, dig it ❤️😎
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.
Who’s here in 2024
Well, we wouldn't be here in any other year, would we? Unless we were time travellers. Honestly, why do people keep commenting this shit?
Present Sir!!!
😢
I'm here in 2027
Seems unlikely. @@pbufh
Thank you to everyone that has responded to my comment about my dad's passing and the love of this song. I was 3 and would and can remember standing next to him singing it. It was a song that had a lot of meaning to it to me, not because of what or who it was written about, but because my dad and I would sing it together. My dad was in the Navy and then the Army and will always be y hero! Everyone has different opinions about the song but my opinion (memory) was we would sing it together so it held a special place in my heart. 💔 I am still trying to mend my broken heart.
I certainly did not mean to bring any bad feelings to anyone about this song. I have a big heart and love everyone. ✌
How old was he?
Great comment it is meaning full 👍
I am sorry you lost your dad, but at least you have beautiful memories of him, so he will always live on in your heart and will share all the good times with you. Wish you and your family the best!
I sang it with my dad too. I used to love singing the part about jack sotting on a candle stick and Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall take care love. May your road be filled with much light to lead the way.
Oh man, I'm so sorry for your loss, may our Lord have your father's soul and, one day, should you be together again.
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!
This is the true American spirit🎉
[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"
Ahh yes the #1 greatest and meaningful song of all time (in my own opinion) was here. A piece of track with great storytelling and lyrical performance especially to the "the day the music died" part reminds me of how music changed through the years. Thank you Mr. Don McLean and your American Pie which a half-century old now. - from 🇵🇭
In my opinion too
Yup
Hello my fellow filipino brother. its rare to see filipino now adays listening to this kind of song.
Don was awesome underated in my opinion , The UK also had a version of Don , he was called Gilbert O'Sullivan probably not many remember him but if not listen to Alone again naturally it's a song to appreciate
That’s not what the lyric means.
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?
Has so many emotions poured into it, sweet nostalgia, anger, joy, sadness
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 😢
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
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..
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
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
All the references in this song is crazy. the plane crash with all the musicians, Elvis, Beatles, and more. it's crazy how much history can be in one song
It was written about Buddy Holly, Beatles were never in a plane crash. Just check it out you will find some of them still alive. Elvis didn't die in a plane crash but sadly in the bathroom.
@@debbiebeach4113 Yeah I know. I was listing some things that were referenced in the song, not the people in the plane crash but I can see how the way I worded it was confusing, oops
Don mc lean said Elvis was in no way being referenceed. Watch the documentary American Pie with McLean talking about the lyrics.
@@micahfitzpatrick967 oh ok, I'm not much of a music nerd per se so I was talking to my father about this song and he was saying Elvis was referenced in the song. I guess that while we were listening to this song and talking about it we misunderstood some references
@@micahfitzpatrick967 Who did he say the "king" was then who had his crown stolen by the jester?
You know the world is a bit broken when this legend has less than 200k followers on here. Respect to a real artist.
And what logical sense would it be to subscribe to a artist that hasn't released a single since 1998..if the world is broken its due to the general stup!dity of America n its public spreading it to the world through news n s0cial media
Totally agree with you, the person posting below you is likely a communist lol.
The logical sense would be to show a real artist respect and support. For the algos to push it more and so more new people can find it in the future, so on and so forth. Wouldn't help if we listened to these songs on this channel so the artist gets paid in the newer ways also. Plenty of logical sense.
@@jadebel7006Newsflash he just released a remixed and remastered Christmas Memories Album, guess you missed that. Derp
@@jadebel7006 Ah yes, because only America is stupid.
Grow tf up.
An amazing song about the loss of innocence for both an individual and a generation, the loss of morality ("I saw Satan laughing with delight") and the conversion of America to a secular society that believes only in material things and has foregone the spiritual and its Christian roots ("while the king was looking down, the jester stole His thorny crown," "the church bells all were broken," "they caught the last train for the coast," etc.). Truly inspired lyrics.
George Washington was a Deist, he thought there was a god, but not one described accurately in any religion. The Second President of America said “America isn’t a Christian Nation anymore than it is a Athiest or Islamic Nation.” It’s meant for everyone.
Just learned about the backstory of this song. Today might be the 65th anniversary of the plane wreck, but may the music never die.
Yup… 65 years ago on February 4th, 1959 (which was way before I was born), after performing in Clear Lake, Iowa. The band was frustrated by the conditions on the bus, they chose to travel by plane to get to their next venue in my hometown of Moorhead, Minnesota… (the only airport you could land at back in the day was in Fargo, North Dakota as that was the closest airport to Moorhead). A few miles away from the airport they took off at is where the plane crashed… KVRR’s News Director Jim Monk actually did a story where he spoke with two local musicians and a son of a pop idol
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!
I remember listening to this song growing up as a kid and going to see my grandparents. They used to play this on the radio. I can still faintly smell cigarette smoke, yankee candles and a mixture of their perfume and cologne. This song will forever be timeless.
Such an upbeat song with such sad lyrics.
This is my favorite song from this genre, great video, for years I’ve imagined a MTV video for this, can see the story boards in my mind every time I hear it.
Today is 63 years since the Day the Music Died. 51 years since American Pie was released. I was alive for both. Damn, I'm old.....
💯
I'm sorry but what is the day the music died? Asking for a millennial
@@TimmithyZERO the day when the plane holding Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens crashed
you may be old timer, but that's what makes the story intresting
Not old, just perfectly aged I reckon
Fifty years ago. I got into my permanent duty station at Illesheim. Germany...the day I got there, November 8th. Three Dog Night was the most played group on AFN...Beginning in December American Pie had completely taken over as Number 1...we'd listen to Kasey Kasem's shows on AFN...American Top 40 for clues to the various meanings hidden in the song...it stayed at number 1cuntil January when America's Horse With No Name bumped it out of that spot...
What a time to Be alive!!!
0
Wow it’s really interesting the story behind the lyrics too my dad taught me that it was about the great artists that died in the plane crash but it gave me chills. i’m 17 btw
the day the music died
How was the time over here? It would be very interesting to know for me (and some other people here probably too) how it was over here as an solider in the Cold War.
Ive been listening to this song all my life. Loved it and danced to it. Then I grew up the day I realized the meaning behind the words. Now I listen with a mind full of nostalgia❤
Used to sing it at school when I was a lot younger. Most poetic, religious, polemic song ever written, in my humble opinion. Should be on the school curriculum 😊
OMG!!! I always wanted one of these for American Pie! Thank you Don McLean, you’re the best singer ever ❤️
Yup and a good tribute song to the three legends
The father son and holy ghost
❤💚
Only 64 plus. Damn good song. Satan go eff utself
Classic!
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
Actually well put together.. I remember when it first aired on fm radio stations back in the day,,, good times indeed.
Blessed that my nana had good music taste always riding around with her and my mom impacted my taste of music in a big way
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.
On this day; May 26th, 1971....Don McLean recorded his career-defining song "American Pie".....It hit the #1 spot on the USA Billboard Hot 100 in January 1972 & is one of the most successful singles in rock history.
I listened to this song years ago. I found this song again today, and it brought me nearly to tears. I can't believe I had forgotten about this song for this long. Thank you. Thank you for making such a good song.
MUSIC 🎶 Now a days is Missing Songs like this. Born in 1965, I have a small remembrance of my very young parents than, having the Radio on with THE DOORS was on( I must have just turned 2 years), Christmas time end of 67. Music very much part of growing up ❤❤❤ AMERICAN PIE, is one I’ll never forget ❤️🔥👍🎶THANK YOU for brain storming for this creation 👍
The Korean president singing this song brought me here
It’s had me listening to this way more often lately. That was sooo sweet and human wasn’t it? I feel like nobody I showed it appreciated it as much. It made me feel so connected to humanity.
The internet is great an bring people together from strange places
Beautiful
Wait what?! I need a link to the vid!
ua-cam.com/video/wyF3dvFRrE4/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/u-E6Bk-JHvo/v-deo.html
Me too
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!
3:26 "Lennin" gotta appreciate how the video maintains the ambiguity of the line.
Fabulous, beautiful forever song 🤩❤
When I was a junior in high school I was apart of the A.V. club and actually made a music video to your song because it is one of my all time favorites. And realize this was in 2003. You have touched every generation. This is a true classic. It will never die
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.
Still loving this song after all these years! 🙏💖🎶🇺🇸💕
I'm not even an American but this song touched me i can't even explain how it's feel 🤌🏼 this is one of my favourite now
1:28 💎 what a classic 🎶
South Korea President lead here.
Nice music !!
President of R.O.K,Yun,sang this song today,so I came here.
I Just loooovvveee this song
I saw Don McLean at a high school auditorium in the mid 80's. It was him, his acoustic guitar, a mike, a stool and a bottle of water. Might have been 50 people there. He was literally great.
Yes, Don, the music will save my mortal soul. This music. Your music. Thanks 4ever
Yup
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I'm not sure if it was intentional, but It was very fitting for the President Yoon to have chosen this song, as the fundamental American values such as democracy, individual freedom, and equality are being challenged both internally and externally, Republic of Korea stands as a shinning beacon and living testimony to prove that these values are universal human value.
One of the songs that makes me sing along and brings the nostalgia of the era that I didn't live in
One of my favorite songs and I never get tired of it