American Pie by Don McLean - Lyrics and Translation

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American Pie

Don McLean

American Pie

Song byDon McLean

in AlbumThe Best Of Don McLean

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

So...

*Bye, bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye

Singing this'll be the day that I die

This'll be the day that I die

Did you write the book of love

And do you have faith in God above

If the Bible tells you so?

Now do you believe in rock and roll?

Can music save your mortal soul?

And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him

'cause I saw you dancing in the gym

You both kicked off your shoes

Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

But I knew I was out of luck

The day the music died

I started singing(*)

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 Lenin read a book on Marx

The quartet practiced in the park

And we sang dirges in the dark

The day the music died

We were singing(*)

Helter skelter in a summer swelter

The birds flew off with a fallout shelter

Eight miles high and falling fast

Landed foul on the grass

The players tried for 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

'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?

We started singing(*)

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

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 singing(*)

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(*)

LanguageEnglish

Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

American Pie by Don McLean is a renowned American folk rock song that explores themes of cultural change and loss of innocence in American society during the late 20th century. The song reflects on key events in music history, particularly the tragic plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper in 1959, referred to as 'the day the music died.' McLean delves into the impact of this event on his generation and the broader societal shifts that followed. The song is filled with symbolism and references to significant political, musical, and cultural changes throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Notable moments include mentions of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, as well as allusions to the political unrest and cultural revolutions of the era.