Analysis of American Pie free essay sample

As the song begins, the narrator seems to feel nostalgic about the music written by a certain person, and he describes the way that music made him smile (1-3). He misses the music from the past that could make people smile, and that could help them forget their troubles. McLean seems to be referring to the 1950s, which is clearer in the chorus of the song. As the speaker goes on, he says, â€Å"But February made me shiver / With every paper Id deliver. † Here it is widely believe that Don McLean is referring to the death of Buddy Holly. He is said to have been delivering newspapers on his paper route the February that he learned of Buddy Holly’s death. The speaker identifies Holly by the month of his death, and the, â€Å"widowed bride,† (12) that Holly left behind (Fann). The death of Buddy Holly seems to have had a profound effect on Don McLean, as the lyrics appear to show. In the chorus, we see more clearly how McLean misses the 1950s, as he references many events that occurred at the time. The chorus begins with McLean saying, â€Å"Bye, bye, Miss American Pie† (16). Here the speaker could be referring to the American Dream, which he believes has gone under a change since the 1950s. He seems to think that the idea of the American Dream is different now, in 1971. Another option for what the speaker means here is the fact that Don McLean dated a Miss America contestant once. In line 17, McLean says, â€Å"Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry. † In the 1950s, Chevrolet was the major automobile company. When McLean says, â€Å"the levee was dry,† (17), he is possibly referring to the fact that a relationship of his has fallen apart (Fann). He seems to be upset over this fact, but he is accepting of it. In the next line, the speaker says, â€Å"This’ll be the day that I’ll die† (18). There is a song written by Buddy Holly called, â€Å"That’ll Be the Day,† where Holly later says, â€Å"that I die. † Again, McLean is returning to his beloved songwriter, Buddy Holly. We can see here that McLean truly does have an appreciation for Holly as he quotes him in a song of his own. In the next verse, McLean mentions, â€Å"The book of love,† which is a song written by the Monotones in 1957. He clearly appreciates this song and its style. In lines 22-23, the writer says, â€Å"And do you have faith in God / If the Bible tells you so? Here McLean is probably making a reference to an old Sunday School song which goes: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. † When the speaker says, â€Å"And can you teach me how to dance real slow,† I believe he is referring to the fact that in the 1950s, it was more common to dance sl owly to music. However, in the 1960s, this changed and people focused more on fast dancing than the slow dancing of the 50s. In the last line of this verse, the speaker brings back his main theme of this song, which is the transformation of music after the 1950s. He says, â€Å"But I knew I was out of luck / The day the music died† (33-34). He is clearly talking about the fact that he is unhappy about the music of the 1950s and earlier â€Å"dying. † He enjoyed that music, along with the slowness and rhythm of the music. Verse three consists of McLean speaking about Bob Dylan, who he uses to contrast the older music of Buddy Holly. He liked the more early folk type of Bob Dylan, but he notices that Dylan underwent a change like the rest of society. By the end of the verse, McLean is speaking about the Beatles and their impact on him (Fann). His first reference to Bob Dylan comes when he says, â€Å"And moss grows fat on a rolling stone. † Here McLean is speaking about Dylan’s song â€Å"Like a Rolling Stone,† and how this song was Dylan’s first major change from 1950s style music. It could also be referring to the saying, â€Å"A rolling stone gathers no moss,† which talks about how people are always moving and never put their roots in one place. Here the saying more likely means that people have drifted from the old musical style and the values of the time period to something brand new (Fann). Again the verse ends with McLean saying, â€Å"The day the music died. In the summer of 1968, Charles Manson massacred an entire family because of the Beatles song, Helter Skelter. † He was inspired to murder these people by the song. He thought that the Beatles were warning America about the racial conflict happening at the time. Manson wrote the title of the song on the wall in blood af ter committing the murders. In the line, â€Å"We all got up to dance / Oh, but we never got the chance,† the writer could be speaking about how the Beatles wrote songs meant for listening and not dancing. Throughout this verse, the writer talks about, â€Å"players. I believe that here he is most likely referring to the many protesters around this time. He says, â€Å"sweet perfume,† (57) most likely to refer to the use of tear gas against protestors. He seems to believe that the government is corrupt when he says, â€Å"Cause the players tried to take the field (61). Here he means that the protestors tried to create change but the government would not allow them to make the changes. McLean continues his allusions to events happening around him and in the past, and he again ends the verse with his constantly repeated line, â€Å"The day the music died. The next verse seems to focus on the events that happened at Altamont in 1969. â€Å"The flower children gathered at Altamont, 300,000 strong, in a frenzy of drugs, alcohol and escalating violence† (Fann). McLean is pointing out here that the ideas of the counterculture are obviously not going to work. He makes this obv ious when he says, â€Å"Oh, and there we were all in one place / A generation lost in space / With no time left to start again† (65-67). He means that the people who were members of the counterculture were all gathered together at Altamont, and the ideas of their movement were, â€Å"lost in space. â€Å"Jack Flash,† (70) is a reference to the Rolling Stones song  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Jumpin Jack Flash,† in which the protagonist â€Å"nimbly plays with fire to boast of his freedom† (Fann). As he does many times, McLean ends with his idea that the music of the 1950s has died. In the final verse of the song the speaker walks among the ruins of his generation, searching for remnants of the 1950s that he once lived through. Lines 81-83 seem to speak about a person who when asked for any happy news can only smile and walk away. This seems to be speaking of Janis Joplin, who died in 1970 of a heroin overdose. He says in line 84 that he goes down to the â€Å"sacred store,† which is most likely a record store that he visited in the 1950s. He says specifically in the next line that he had heard music there years before. When the speaker says, â€Å"But the man there said the music wouldnt play,† he means that the store no longer has the music that he wants to buy (86). At the end of the final verse he yet again uses the signature line of the song, â€Å"the day the music died. † This song is filled with constant meaning and lyrical significance. The speaker begins by speaking about a certain type of music that he used to listen to and that made him smile often. His nostalgia of the past times is clear even in the very first verse. The writer tries to convey his point that the music and customs of the 1950s have changed, and are different from how they used to be. He also shows that he does not like this change. He misses the music of Buddy Holly that could be easily danced to, and he wished people would return to the music of the 1950s. The speaker seems to be upset over this change, and he then runs through the events that have been happening since the 1950s when everything changed for him. This song shows continuous importance and should impact all listeners, whether positively, or negatively. Works Cited Fann, Jim. Understanding American Pie.   Understanding American Pie. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Apr 2012. lt;www. understandingamericanpie. comgt;. 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 theyd be happy for a while But February made me shiver With every paper Id deliver Bad news on the doorstep I couldnt take one more step I cant remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride But something touched me deep inside **The day the music died** So [Chorus] Bye, bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye Singin thisll be the day that I die Thisll 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 youre 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 I started singin [Chorus] Now, for ten years weve been on our own And moss grows fat on a rolling stone But, thats 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 singin [Chorus] 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 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 singin [Chorus] 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 devils 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 Satans 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 [Chorus] 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 Id heard the music years before But the man there said the music wouldnt 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 [Chorus: Repeat x2]