American Pie
McLean, Don

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
Something touched me deep inside, the day the music died

So, bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Did you write the book of love, and do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him, 'cos 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

I started singin'... Bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Now for ten years we've been on our own, and moss grows fat on a rolling 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

We were singin'... Bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Helter skelter in a summer swelter, the birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast, it landed foul on the grass
The players tried a forward pass with the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume while sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance, oh but we never got the chance
'cos the players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed, the day the music died?

[continued...]


We started singin'... Bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

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, 'cos 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's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night, to light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight, the day the music died

He was singin'... Bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues, and I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store, where I'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

And they were singing... Bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

They were singing... Bye-bye Miss American Pie 
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die