DEEP!! | American Pie - Don McLean (Reaction)

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Reacting to American Pie - Don McLean
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@BigTimeRushFan2112 4 ай бұрын

Raise your hand if you know absolutely every word and sing along as this classic plays.

@deniseouillette6995 4 ай бұрын

every time!!!!

@randyg.1836 4 ай бұрын

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

@germankitty 4 ай бұрын

Oh hell, yeah ... this has been on my favorites list for fifty years and counting!

@creinicke1000 4 ай бұрын

I can't sing the whole song by heart, but o know the verses as it's sung. It's fun to remember the history of rock and role and of our country.

@matthewcostello3530 4 ай бұрын

the person who made the music video didn't Whiskey AND Rye?????????

@picolo4102 4 ай бұрын

Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, and Richie Valens. 3 rock stars in the 50s who died in a plane crash together

@RicoCosta317 4 ай бұрын

So many references here it's hard to explain in a YT comment. Basically the day the music died is about Buddy Holly, one of the legendary rock n roll pioneers dying in a plane crash on Feb 3, 1959, along with Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, two other icons of that era. McLean was a kid delivering papers when it happened, so the song is about the loss of innocence when music was fun and life seemed simpler, as the world was plunged into the upheaval and chaos of the 60s. Music references. The beginning uses song titles of 50s songs that McLean grew up with. The King is almost surely Elvis, whose crown was stolen by the jester, Bob Dylan. Beatles references, Lennon read a book on Marx, a play on Lenin, one of the founders of communism, Helter Skelter is one of their late 60s songs, and they're also the sergeants, in reference to their epic album Sgt Pepper. The satanic stuff refers to the Rolling Stones, who had an album called At Her Satanic Majesty's Request, a song called Sympathy For The Devil and another hit, Jumpin' Jack Flash, that's referenced here. And the girl who sang the blues was Janis Joplin, who died of a heroin OD. Also, he references the Byrds, another popular band in the 60s, and their song Eight Miles High. Hope that helps a little bit, brother J! Next up by Mclean, Vincent, about the tragic life and death of the artist Vincent Van Gogh, an absolute must. 21+k and growing my man! While you're continuing yr music education, a lotta people like me are sure as hell enjoying it with you 💯👊🏾

@AliasMark69 4 ай бұрын

That sums it up pretty good. Some of us know all those people

@RicoCosta317 4 ай бұрын

@@AliasMark69I unfortunately wasn't around when they were but had a great music education from my Dad and uncles. Love Don McLean a lot. A true poet and a great vocalist. Did you ever hear one of his later songs, Chain Lightning? What a beautiful ethereal song, one of my all time favorites. I'm gonna recommend it to J after he does Vincent.

@jameswiglesworth5004 4 ай бұрын

No disrespect Rico Costa, you may be from my era, but back in the day, there was no information on the song and I worked it all out for myself (well most of it) today it is easy, it is out there on wikipedia and there are many thesis on the song as well, any newcomer can easily find all the information they need

@JPVLDRodrigues 4 ай бұрын

There are quite a few more references, including the Birds or Janis Joplin, for example. Or the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King.

@RicoCosta317 4 ай бұрын

@@JPVLDRodrigues I mentioned The Byrds and Janis but what's the allusion to the Kennedys? I know the had social commentary as well as music history but I musta missed that one.

@tomfowler381 4 ай бұрын

The lyric that brings me to tears every time: “I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away…”

@bobcorbin3294 4 ай бұрын

Janice Joplin.

@terri2494 4 ай бұрын

@@bobcorbin3294 A founding member of the 27 Club. RIP.

@claranielsen3382 4 ай бұрын

One of the best hooks ever written. Buddy Holly is buried here in Lubbock. My dad knew him. My Mom was a nurse who took care of his mother and wife when they were in the hospital. The night of the Airplane crash Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on that flight . The plane was for the big acts. Buddy Holly and Waylon. The other musicians were to ride a old bus with no heat . The Big Bopper asked Waylon if he could switch seats because of a cold. Richie Valens won the last spot on the plane. Buddy said to Waylon I hope your bus freezes up, Waylon said in response "I hope your plane crashes" . Shortly after take off the plane went down, all souls lost. February 3rd 1959,that's the day music died .

@suzanneprock7286 4 ай бұрын

One day before I was born, how sad!

@jonathansmith3742 4 ай бұрын

An all time Classic. We all know all the lyrics. Been singing them for 50 yrs. Still grooves hard. Thanks for keepin the music alive.

@JPVLDRodrigues 4 ай бұрын

An amazing description of the musical and social landscape of the 60s and early 70s in America. Every verse has a meaning.

@rbodee 4 ай бұрын

"I met a girl who sang the blues(Janis Joplin) and asked her for some happy news. She just smiled and turned away." Favorite line.

@DrVonChilla 4 ай бұрын

Absolute uber-Americana music. Don McLean entered musical IMMORTALITY with the song.

@Bob-pw7rf 4 ай бұрын

Don McLean was asked once what this song meant. He said it means I'll never have to work another day in my life !

@AliasMark69 4 ай бұрын

MASSIVE SMILES... JM, you just joined the MILLIONS of us who have heard this legendary song. Many of us know every word. It is certainly one of those tunes on the MUST HEAR list for any Reactor.... Thanks again.

@mikemiller3069 4 ай бұрын

One of the main, repeating lines in this song is "this will be the day that I die" which is a reference to one of Buddy Holly's most popular songs, "That'll Be The Day" in which the full line is, "That'll be the day that I die". The song is about the day that Buddy Holly, in fact, did die.

@terri2494 4 ай бұрын

I can just picture in my mind people in a bar or burger joint or just with friends, listening to Buddy’s songs and singing along after hearing the news. When they got to that line they realized it was no longer some mystery day in the future, because “that” had turned into “this”.

@BRLaue 4 ай бұрын

Buddy took that lyric from the lines that John Wayne intoned several times in ‘The Searchers’.

@rubroken 4 ай бұрын

The lyrics are so deep and tell the history of rock in the 50's and 60's. You need to read about all the characters Don references in the song

@bennemer489 4 ай бұрын

Check out the all his references on Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pie_(song)

@michaelasay8587 4 ай бұрын

The 90s were the last of the good times in the US! Politics! Let's change that...if you know what I mean!!???😢

@rubroken 4 ай бұрын

@@michaelasay8587 Truthfully, I don't know what you mean. Life goes on with ups and downs, but people always strive for a better world

@kierstenridgway4634 4 ай бұрын

😂 kinda what I just said. So true. I find myself wanting to read about it again. ❤️✌️

@DrStrangelove3891 4 ай бұрын

"What the song means? It means I'll never have to work again" (Don McLean, when he was a bit fed up with answering this question for the 1000th time)

@DrStrangelove3891 4 ай бұрын

But on a more serious note: this song describes the musical, cultural and political history between 1958 and 1971. It's full of references to artists and events, but others in this thread have already explained all of these. It tell the story of disillusionment, the loss of innocence and hope, the end of the hippie era.

@simonatkinson1107 4 ай бұрын

James Dean was an actor from the mid 1950’s. He was a great actor but sadly lost his life in a car crash aged 24. His story has become legendary because of his brilliantly casual acting style, his 2 posthumous Oscar nominations and the conspiracy stories behind the car crash.

@mlhesler68 4 ай бұрын

About Buddy Holly's death in February 1959. The Jester was Dylan, the marching band referred to The Beatles Sgt. Pepper. Jack Flash is a reference to The Rolling Stones Jumpin' Jack Flash. The Pink Carnation was Marty Robin's hit. The girl who sang the blues was Janis Joplin and the three men he admired most went to San Francisco which became the hip music scene. I could go on and on...

@donnakubiski5572 4 ай бұрын

Your next reaction from him has to be "Vincent" about the painter Vincent van Gogh. Beautiful song that will put tears in your eyes. 😢

@katrinacash6393 4 ай бұрын

Please listen to Don McLean's song "Vincent". Pure poetry set to music. You will really enjoy it! On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event became known as "The Day the Music Died" after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie".

@karenwalsh1143 4 ай бұрын

I second that!

@RichardDickson-to7zg 4 ай бұрын

Looks like you've got yourself a Pop Quiz! I think the overarching theme of the song is about the loss of innocence. Every verse refers to how music reflects changes in popular culture from a historical perspective. The characters are real and so are their stories and descriptions.

@mikecaetano 4 ай бұрын

PS. The line about the Father, Son & Holy Ghost catching the last train for the coast, beyond the trinity reference, can be taken as a reference to the deaths of JFK, RFK, and MLK in the sixties. Many people were still working through their grief over their assassinations when this song came out and pop songs often helped with the healing. Dion, for example, charted with "Abraham, Martin and John" in 1968 when the grief was still fresh. James Dean was arguably the greatest actor of his generation, with starring roles in the films East of Eden (1953), Rebel WIthout a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). But he died young in a car crash. As a fifties icon he's usually grouped with Marilyn Monroe. The Eagles wrote a song about him, appropriately titled "James Dean", which they included on their third album. It's an uptempo country rocker that used to get regular airplay on FM rock radio stations back when.

@simondobbs4480 4 ай бұрын

The single ran over both sides of the record, so you had to flip it over half way through. I played it endlessly when ten years old, and knew all the lyrics off by heart. Understanding them came later.

@terri2494 4 ай бұрын

Some of them fifty years later, for me. Mostly through the comments sections of reaction videos. I’m a little jealous that people who hear it for the first time today can get a full breakdown on all the lyrics the same day.

@GeorgeinScotland 2 ай бұрын

Oh my I forgot about it being on both sides of the single, thanks for reminding me

@user-up3uc6ol4r 4 ай бұрын

I still have the vinyl from when this first came out. It's beautiful and timeless.🌹❤️🌹

@karenmandeville7116 4 ай бұрын

it refers to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens. i believe this song looks at history through a musical lens. the king (Elvis), the jester (Dylan), jack flash (Mick Jagger) lennon (John), the girl who sang the blues (Janis Joplin), the good ole boys (kids drafted to Nam). and so much more.

@Nana_Reads 4 ай бұрын

It references the King twice and the second time it says the King and Queen think that time refers to JFK and Jacqueline ( Camelot ) 🤷🏻‍♀️

@karenmandeville7116 4 ай бұрын

@@Nana_Reads that's good i think. thanks that makes a lot of sense.

@debjorgo 4 ай бұрын

The history of Rock and Roll, starting with the death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper in a plane crash. Buddy had a big hit song with That'll be the Day (That I Die). My favorite references are the Beatle ones - Lennon (not Lenin) read a book on Marx, could be John Lennon reading about Socialism, followed by "the quartet practiced in the park" and "We sang dirges in the dark" (Cry Baby Cry - "...seance in the dark, with voices out of nowhere"), "Helter Skelter....", "Halftime air...the Sgts played a marching tune....the players tried to take the field the matching band refused to yield", the Beatles kept hitting hard with new releases. The Rolling Stones had a song Sympathy for the Devil and an album called Their Satanic Majesty's Request. They had a concert where they used Hells Angels for security and a guy got stabbed to death. A lot of people call that the death of the sixties.

@RLKmedic0315 4 ай бұрын

"We Didnt Start the Fire" by Billy Joel is the same type of song. Historical and cultural events recorded in a great piece of music.

@lucymacdonald7601 3 ай бұрын

The greatest tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper.

@richardgreene7184 4 ай бұрын

This is about the day, Buddy Holly, the big bopper, and Ritchie Valens died in the plane plane crash

@RavenFire4 4 ай бұрын

I had the pleasure see Don McLean perform this song and others in person.. he’s such a gift..

@andycofin6983 4 ай бұрын

Buddy Holly was a pioneer of rock and roll. Everyone talks about the oldies, but the R and B back in that day was the predecessor of what became Rock and Roll, and Holly and a few others brought it into the light. The entire British invasion has the real originals to thank for their success. Here in the states rock and roll began to grow as the music world slowly adapted folk music into rock.

@baskervillebee6097 4 ай бұрын

Don McLean recently rerecorded this with the acapella group Home Free. Don still sounds great 53 years later.

@user-qi7mw3sm7m 4 ай бұрын

Eddie Cochran, a rock n' roll star of the 50s, died in a plane crash. James Dean, a young movie star (Rebel withiout a Cause)was his friend, also died later in a car crash. The song refers to Cochrane's death and loss to music.

@mortimersnerd8044 4 ай бұрын

They wrote whole books about what this song meant back in the day, and people still discuss it today. The event it centers arould are the deaths of Buddy Holley, "The Big Bopper", and Richie Valens in a plane crash in 1959. All 3 were huge stars at the time as well as being the "Founding fathers" of what would come to be known as Rock N' Roll. Valens in particular was decades ahead of the music of his time, he died at the age of only 17. There are a ton of references to the music of the 50/60/70s in this song and if you keep the lyrics in mind as you continue to explore this music, it will become aparent that this is a wonderfully loving puzzle of a song to unravel. Love your show, peace 🤍

@hackermusic3355 4 ай бұрын

Don't worry about some of the references going over your head. Many of them still go over my head and I'm old enough to remember them.

@tammyjarvis3699 4 ай бұрын

It’s really fun watching someone hear something for the first time when I can remember hearing it when it came out for the first time!

@johnmccarthy-behindtheveil 4 ай бұрын

Don McLean was from New Rochelle, N.Y., and was a news paper delivery boy. The Levee was a bar in Rye, N.Y. Them good ole boys were drinking Whiskey IN Rye (Rye N.Y.) Not whiskey AND rye.

@craigw1911 4 ай бұрын

With all the typos in the newspaper, we used to call it "The STRANDED Star" instead of its name "The Standard Star". Hometown boy done good.

@toniallen1130 4 ай бұрын

If I’m not mistaken “Miss American Pie” was the name of the plane in which Buddy Holly and Richey Valens were killed in

@Scary__fun 4 ай бұрын

His name is pronounced "mac-lane". This song is one of the most studied and interpreted of all time. The original hand-written lyrics were sold at auction in 2015 for $1.2 million, the third highest for a written manuscript (including books).

@richgoebel6650 4 ай бұрын

I always like the rhyming scheme in this. I was 5 when this was on the radio and I remember my mom listening to it on the radio writing in shorthand to be able to write as many lyrics as possible each time she heard it. Then somebody bought the album for her and the sleeve came with lyrics on it. Having the album meant playing a complete side, and while others have mentioned his song Vincent, there is a short love song squeezed in between them, Till Tomorrow. I remember all three because I played them a lot on our turntable.

@Serai3 4 ай бұрын

I agree that you should listen to Don's "Vincent", but make sure it's the studio version. The popular live version has an unfortunate burst of applause that drowns out a pivotal line in the first verse. Without that line, the rest of the song is hard to interpret. So use the studio version and you won't spend half the song trying to figure it out. :) The jester was Bob Dylan, who upended popular music with his folk songs, his "voice that came from you and me". The King was, of course, Elvis. The devil was Mick Jagger, and the sacrificial rite was the Altamont music festival, widely regarded as the day the 60's dream died - it got hellish and violent, the opposite of Woodstock. The girl who sang the blues was Janis Joplin.

@creinicke1000 4 ай бұрын

I think the song with the clips of his ART is the best. I've seen so many folks who have no clue who vincent is.. they don't know the art. Start start night, fields of gold, self portraits.. It's important to see the art he's singing about.

@Serai3 4 ай бұрын

@@creinicke1000 Okay. I don't think it's necessary since the song itself paints the portrait, and that should be enough, considering that it's a song and not a movie. If you have to have flash cards, it's not much of a song.

@willievega9846 4 ай бұрын

I'll say it again!!! JM you have the best reaction site! Bar none!!!

@karenwalsh1143 4 ай бұрын

One of the best songs ever written.

@browntabproductions 4 ай бұрын

Quite a touching song about “The Day the Music Died”, which was FEB 13, 1959, when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, & JP Richardson aka The Big Bopper died in a plane crash outside Clearlake, Iowa.

@jennyburns787 4 ай бұрын

He was delivering newspapers on the front page reporting plane crash Buddy, Big Bopper and Richie. Lots of references at that time.

@martinl8574 4 ай бұрын

The King is Elvis, the jester is Bob Dylan, the quartet are the Beatles, Jack Flash is Mick Jagger. The birds are the music band the Birds.

@HuntingViolets Ай бұрын

You can go down a real rabbit hole starting with googling this song. There is also a song, "Killing Me Softly," not specifically about this song but about another Don McLean song, "Empty Chairs."

@Gort-Marvin0Martian 4 ай бұрын

The song Vincent that everyone is alluding to is about Vincent Van Gogh. It is absolutely incredible. You really should check out. Don McLean was brilliant.! As we say in Texas; y'all be safe. All of you!!!

@HuntingViolets Ай бұрын

James Dean was an actor who only did three movies before dying tragically young.

@marquisdelafayette1929 4 ай бұрын

The song is a masterpiece basically recounting all the major events and change from the 50s to 60s. The day the music died is when the plane of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed killing everyone on board. The jester is Bob Dylan and the cast was when he crashed his motorcycle and it halted his career. The king is Elvis Presley The quartet are the Beatles and they played their last concert together at Candlestick Park (another day the music died) Jack Flash is Mick Jagger as is Satan (referencing Rolling Stones songs Jumping Jack Flash and Sympathy For The Devil).. “no angel born in hell” are the Hells Angels who provided security for a concert and stabbed a young concertgoer. The “girl who say the blues” is Janis Joplin. Father, son, and Holy Ghost could be either Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, and Richie Valens OR JFK, MLK, and RFK who were all assassinated. Helter Skelter in the summer swelter is the Charles Manson killings who was inspired by the Beatles song. The sergeants and the marching band refer to Vietnam protesters. “And they were all in one place” is referring to Woodstock.

@dougca7086 4 ай бұрын

You should react to this song live! February 3rd 1959 Is The Day the Music Died in reference to Buddy Holly the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens went down in a plane crash they were considered the beginning of of rock and roll as we knew it Buddy Holly had a five-piece band named The Crickets and they influenced a lot of bands including the Beatles you should also react to Buddy Holly and the Crickets

@stephaniewilson1153 4 ай бұрын

I believe this song was released when I was in the 5th grade. I still love singing to it. ❤️

@netzahuacoyotl 4 ай бұрын

You got the main theme. It begins autobiographical. As a kid in the 50s, he was a rock and roll fan who aspired to “make those people dance”. The bad news was that 3 of rock’s most promising artists, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, died in a plane crash. That was in 1959. 10 years later is 69 and he’s mourning the loss of the music’s and the country’s innocence. Some references: Jester is prob Bob Dylan who stole the crown of Elvis the King. Quartet is Beatles. Jack Flash was a hit song by The Rolling Stones. He’s referencing a show they played at Altamont Speedway in CA where they hired members of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club for security. A Hell’s Angels member killed a fan in front of the stage. The girl who sang the blues is Janis Joplin who died tragically young. So many more references and ways to interpret them.

@leonardshevlin7260 4 ай бұрын

The album is dedicated to Buddy Holly, who was 13 year old Don McLean's musical idol. Holly, from West Texas, was the embodiment of many of the best things about America in the 1950s. His 1958 marriage to a dark-skinned Roman Catholic was kept quiet and his death made the information public. Part of adolescence is realizing that you have been unaware of many things going on [there are unknown unknowns]. America wasn't innocent; young Americans were innocent.

@bloodybutunbowed291 4 ай бұрын

Studied this song in my creative writing class in college, it's a work of genius... 1. ‘Drove My Chevy To The Levee But The Levee Was Dry’ There was an advertisement for Chevrolet sang in 1953 by Dinah Shore who was a top-charting female vocalist of the 40s and 50s. The fact it was now dry refers to the change in the social climate in the 60s compared to the 50s. 2. ‘Singin' This'll Be The Day' - in the chorus Likely refers to Buddy Holly's song "That'll Be the Day." 3. ‘But February Made Me Shiver’ Of course refers to the deaths of Buddy Holly, along with singers the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, and pilot Roger Peterson, perished in a plane incident February 3, 1959. Their small aircraft went down on a snowy late night after a concert in Clear Lake, IA. (Made me shiver - plane crashed in a blizzaed_ 4. ‘With Every Paper I'd Deliver / Bad News On The Doorstep / I Couldn't Take One More Step’ McLean worked as a newspaper delivery boy. And on February 3, 1959, the "bad news" was Buddy Holly's demise, on the cover of every paper that he delivered. 5. ‘When I Read About His Widowed Bride’ Buddy Holly was married to his young wife, Maria Elena Santiago-Holly, for only six months when he perished.His widowed, pregnant new bride was so traumatized by the news of his demise that she had a miscarriage. 6. ‘The Day The Music Died’ Since there was the loss of all three rock musicians in the same incident was seen as a tragedy, and in McLean's mind, marked the end of a musical era that would never be reclaimed. 7. ‘Did You Write The Book Of Love?’ "The Book of Love" is a famous song by The Monotones, a group from Newark, NJ. The song was released in 1958, topping pop and R&B charts. It must have left an impression on young McLean. As the lyrics to the song go: "I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, who...Who wrote the book of love" 8. ‘If The Bible Tells You So?’ "The Bible Tells Me So" was written by Dale Evans in 1955 and recorded by a handful of singers the same year. It was a pop(ish) version of the of the Sunday school song "Jesus Loves Me" 9. ‘You Both Kicked Off Your Shoes’ Refers to sock hops. Teenage dance parties in the '40s and '50s that involved playing popular music in gymnasiums or community halls. Kids were told to take their shoes off to protect the varnish on gymnasiums and dance floors. 10. ‘With A Pink Carnation And A Pickup Truck’ In 1957, Marty Robbins released the heartbreak song "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)" about a young man "all dressed up for the dance" and "all alone in romance." 11. ‘And Moss Grows Fat On A Rolling Stone’ A year after Bob Dylan released "Like a Rolling Stone" in 1965, he was involved in a motorcycle accident that made him lie low for a year or two at the height of his career. He had just transformed himself from a folk singer to an electric guitar-playing rock musician, which caused a lot of controversy within the American music scene. Some people believe McLean's intention was to highlight the evolution of music between the '50s and early '70s while also pushing the action of the song into the '60s. 12. ‘When The Jester Sang For The King And Queen’ Bob Dylan is the jester, Pete Seeger is the king, and Joan Baez is the queen. Bob Dylan opened for them at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, where the three of them sang Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" together on stage. 13. ‘In A Coat He Borrowed From James Dean’ On the cover of his 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Dylan wears a red windbreaker similar to the one worn by James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause. 14. ‘And While The King Was Looking Down’ Reference to Pete Seeger looking down on the way Bob Dylan experimented with music in the 1960s. 15. ‘The Jester Stole His Thorny Crown’ Bob Dylan the jester became the king, taking the crown when he won hearts with his brand of folksy rock 'n' roll. Some people believe he took the crown from Elvis, the "King of Rock 'n' Roll." Others stick with Pete Seeger. 16. ‘The Courtroom Was Adjourned / No Verdict Was Returned’ Refering tothe JFK assination. After he was slain in 1963 , the man accused of the slaying, Lee Harvey Oswald, was himself slain. Therefore, "no verdict was returned" because no trial actually occurred. Also, the Warren Commission showed no real explanation to the event. 17. ‘And While Lennon Read A Book On Marx’ The popular theory is that he's singing about the Beatles becoming more political with their music as tensions soared in the '60s. The Beatles, adored by American youth, were deemed inappropriate by older generations who thought their music was too rowdy. Also, the Beatles released songs like "Revolution" in 1968, whose message is in line with the Communist writer Karl Marx, known for The Communist Manifesto.

@bloodybutunbowed291 4 ай бұрын

18. ’The Quartet Practiced In The Park’ The quartet is likely the Beatles: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. 19. ‘And We Sang Dirges In The Dark’ A dirge is a funereal song of mourning, and there a lot of funerals in the '60s: President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy among them. The line could also refer to the Vietnam conflict; many drafted service members sent overseas never made it back home. 20. ‘Helter Skelter In A Summer Swelter’ "Helter Skelter" is a song the Beatles released in 1968, a year of political and social turmoil in the United States. The next August, "in a summer swelter," followers of Charles Manson (who called for racial war he refered to as "Helter Skelter") brutally slayed five people, including the actress Sharon Tate. 21. ‘The Birds Flew Off From A Fallout Shelter’ Some fans speculate this is an reference to the '60s rock band The Byrds. A fallout shelter is a euphemism for a drug treatment center, which one of the band members checked into after being caught with illicit substances. 22. ‘Eight Miles High And Falling Fast’ Eight Miles High is the title of a 1966 album by The Byrds. It is considered one of the first real trippy records. The sound of the album was influenced by plenty of experimentation with acid. 23. ‘It Landed Foul On The Grass’ Referencing the counterculture's overt use of the weed. 24. ‘With The Jester On The Sidelines In A Cast’ In 1966, Bob Dylan (the Jester), was in a very bad motorcycle accident which had him laid up and in a cast. He didn't want to go to a hospital so he moved in with small town doctor, Doctor Ed Thaler and his family, staying in the third-floor bedroom of their home, until he healed. 25. ‘While Sergeants Played A Marching Tune’ The Beatles released their album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 1967. It was an album where they changed their style making traditional "rock n roll". Experimenting with different soundscapes, introducing instruments such as brass horns and sitars. 26. ' 'Cause The Players Tried To Take The Field / The Marching Band Refused To Yield’ Talking about the protest movement that seemed to peak in the late '60s and early '70s, from Chicago protests at the Democratic National Convention to the one at Kent State in Ohio where the National Guard opened fire on a bunch of students. 27. ‘Oh, And There We Were, All In One Place’ Woodstock. The 1969 music festival in Bethel, NY, which brought together more than 400,000 people in one weekend. Many of the most well-known rock musicians of the time performed, including Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. The festival is viewed as the height of American hippie culture. 28. ‘Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick / Jack Flash Sat On A Candlestick’ A mashup of the "Jack Be Nimble" nursery rhyme and the 1969 song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones released on their album "Live'r Than You'll Ever Be". The album sold poorly, so this could be read as an insult to the Stones for not coming up with a good comeback to the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". 29. ‘Cause Fire Is The Devil's Only Friend’ The Devil seen to be represented by the Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones music potraying rebellion and estrangement, and the pull away from a more innocent time perceived earlier in the '50s and early '60s music as well as the world in general. 30. ‘No Angel Born In Hell / Could Break That Satan's Spell’ "Angel" refering to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, which started a riot at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert in California. They were hired to provide security during a performance by the Rolling Stones, and an 18-year-old Black man was stabbed by a member of the motorcycle group (some say for trying to pick up on a white girl). The events of the day are considered by some to be the day the "free love" movement ended. 31. ‘I Met A Girl Who Sang The Blues’ The "girl" could be Janis Joplin, the rock singer with a very bluesy voice who perished from taking illicit substances in 1970. Her hits "Piece of My Heart" and "Me and Bobby McGee" were considered anthems for the hippie generation. 32. '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’ Don McLean is possibly talking about the loss of interest in '50s music at record stores. When he released the song in 1971, perhaps he was suggesting no one cared about music from this bygone era anymore. 33. ‘And In The Streets The Children Screamed’ In recent years leading up to the song's creation, thousands of young people across the country were involved in various protest movements, which led to confrontations with law enforcement or other groups. 34. 'And The Three Men I Admire Most / The Father, Son, And The Holy Ghost' Since Don McLean was raised Catholic, bringing religion in at the end of the song makes sense. The sacred holy trinity he speaks of, however, catches "the last train for the coast," likely a sign McLean believes America lost its moral foundation in 1959, the year of Buddy Holly's plane crash.

@user-lj7ni6gp8s 3 ай бұрын

An upbeat, sad song. "The day the music died", to me means two separate times. The original sad day and the day that MTV launched. When the looks were more important than the music.

@maryhuhnke4706 4 ай бұрын

A happy sounding song with a tragic back story...💔😢

@JVTrickypants 22 күн бұрын

He even sneaks a Helter Skelter reference in at one point. Anyway, check into the meaning of some of the things that happened, but even if you don't you were obviously still down with it because the song is so catchy and brilliant.

@reneerowcliffe705 4 ай бұрын

The name of the plane was American Pie, I once read.

@michaelasay8587 4 ай бұрын

Jesus Christ ..that has got to be one of the Top songs of all time!! I have to find out what number it in the best songs of all times.

@henrycole7015 4 ай бұрын

So many references to events and the players involved in the 60's. A Woodstock reference...There we were all in one place a generation lost in space...just a month before Woodstock Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Also there is a reference to Altamont! Four months after Woodstock the Rolling Stones put on a free concert just south of San Francisco at the Altamont Raceway. The Stones hired the Hells Angels as their Security...No angel born in hell to break that satan spell. Things got out of hand and the Angels killed someone in front of the stage. Jumpin' Jack Flash would be a great Rolling Stones Reaction. Great Reactions...so much rock history to explore. There is a musical response to American Pie...check out Roberta Flack, her 1971 rebuttal Killing Me Softly With His Song.

@blueyzblue6391 4 ай бұрын

Wow...I never knew that Killing Me Softly was a rebuttal song to American Pie ❤️✌️

@henrycole7015 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for replying. Love musical connections!@@blueyzblue6391

@RockinMamaT 4 ай бұрын

The girl who sings the blues refers to Janice Joplin and the generation lost in space refers to the LSD Era of the late 60s and no angels born in hell refers to the hells angels bikers that were hired for security at Monterey pop festival where things got out hand

@janicemagenheimer4740 4 ай бұрын

I think you should listen to Don McLean"s "Vincent" , I really think that was one of his best works. A song he wrote about Vincent Van Gogh, the painter.

@pamstuckey8349 3 ай бұрын

As a Boomer who knows this song by heart - although only Jack - as in Jack Kennedy is mentioned - I always felt some sad sense of consolation about all the assassinations that our generations experienced. The primary losses cited are Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens - from an airplane crash but I always felt the mournful feeling you hear in this song was also about so many other deaths - MLK, RFK, Malcolm X - leading to a feeling of loss and disallusion that I think later generations - having not been there at the time - can't appreciate

@raymann7998 4 ай бұрын

The levee was a bar that they used to drink at and it closed down. So they drove to Rye, a different city in the state of New York. They drink whiskey in Rye. I have a wonderful breakdown of this song that I found years ago I'd like to share it with you but it would take too long and when they asked Don McLean what's the meaning of this song Don just simply said"I don't have to work again". Lol

@karenwalsh1143 4 ай бұрын

The day the music died is a story of Buddy holly, Richie valens, the big bopper died in a plane crash and the boy read it in the newspaper

@lindamarsh6711 Ай бұрын

Don McLean sang Vincent as well. This ones about the plane crash killing Buddy Holly.

@cletushouse906 4 ай бұрын

Yeah, this one is deep, sad, but deep.

@kenvarnold3659 4 ай бұрын

You need to read about the deaths of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens...this song is the history of that event, plus the whole music scene of that era...the king? (Elvis), the jester? (Bob Dylan), and so on...

@jeanfoster8979 3 ай бұрын

Always loved DonMclean, hi from GB

@gregory6592 4 ай бұрын

The day the music died - plane crash killed Buddy Holly and other Artists, the best of American music. While the King was looking down, Elvis was drafted into the Army, the Jester stole his crown, Bob Dylan. The Quartet played in the park, The Beatles. Lenin read a book of Marx (John Lennon of the Beatles went very hippy). While Sergeants played a marching tune (Sergeants Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band a Beatles album). Moss grows on a rolling stones, The Rolling Stones. Jack flash jumped over a candle stick, Jumin' Jack Flash a song by the Rolling Stones. Helter Skelter (a Beatles song, but also Charles Manston had written in blood after the m*rders he'd ordered). The Birds flew off with a fallout shelter(The Birds, a British band of the 60s). A decade of music history including the British invasion.

@michaelmiletta7644 4 ай бұрын

Plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens, February 3, 1959 is the Day The Music Died.

@lorilxn1597 4 ай бұрын

Such a sad song, one day I'm going to go to Clear Lake, I live in Iowa and it's only a couple hours away.

@vampirebrianne 4 ай бұрын

Deaths of Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Richie Valens in a plane crash. The widowed bride was Holly's pregnant wife. She miscarried.

@jillkoop5682 3 ай бұрын

I really like how you attempted to thìnk through the lyrics of this song. I was a teen when this came out and though i knew some of the references, some i did not until it was explained. It is definitely a boomer's anthem! I am sure if you googled it, there are plenty of answers out there. In fact, that is what i am going to do right now!

@nealtircuit9373 4 ай бұрын

Didn’t see it mentioned in comments. The song “Killing Me Softly With His Song” that was covered by The Fugees was about Don McLean.

@SCVIndy 4 ай бұрын

This song was the song most played on AM radio in 1971/72 Lucky to have seen Don twice His music catalogue is extensive His royalties on this song still over $400,000 per year Check out his live album SOLO .. amazing collection of his songs

@AliasMark69 4 ай бұрын

You just added another name to your incredibly awesome Playlist that all your viewers should check out. Num 95

@johnsexton2200 4 ай бұрын

This song is mainly about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. Also, referrinces to Elvis, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Byrds, space travel or the series, Lost In Space, The assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, & Martin Luther King, and many other people and events.

@Ozarkprepper643 4 ай бұрын

The song is about the death Buddy Holly. Even after years of not hearing the song I still remembered every word and note.lol Where's the song from around the same time you might want to check out Willie Nelson's Uneasy Rider. It's a good one charted 9th on Billboard's top 100. 69th on the country billboard It was played on both country and rock stations

@rxlxviii 4 ай бұрын

The song basically summarizes the 60s, especially the music from the era with references to The Beatles (the quartet), Lenin ( think the video creator made a spelling error here) meaing John Lenon, The Rolling Stones (Helter Skelter which also references the Charles Manson murders, Sympathy For The Devil, Jumpin Jack Flash), The Byrds, The Jester (Bob Dylan) and other groups and singer. Generation lost in space refers the race to get to the moon. And there are other cultural references in the song. I think the Holy Trinity (the three men he admires the most) refers to Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Hopper who all died in a plane crash (the day the music died).

@carolynskelly4763 4 ай бұрын

Thank you JM. It is a pleasure to witness your reactions. You bring love of music, intelligence, heart and soul to this. I appreciate you. Yes, you will be educated in the things you don't know by your commenters. Bless you.

@EastPeakSlim 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for reacting. One can see you dug it. People have written college theses about what it all means. The commenters are giving you the straight dope about the lyrics. It is kinda ironic that a Canadian recounts the history of rock and roll up to the early 1970s.

@user-bn2uw4bx9p 4 ай бұрын

Still remember every word, brings tears to my eyes, this song had such an influence on my life, so glad it did!😺🎶

@jimmykinney4086 4 ай бұрын

Now that you've listened to American Pie you need to listen to Weird Al Yankovic's parody song The Saga Continues. If you've seen Star Episode 1 you'll get the parody.

@reneerocha1796 4 ай бұрын

Thought sure you had heard this….. a classic. 😊❤

@lorilxn1597 4 ай бұрын

He's got so many great songs.. one of my favorites of his.

@donaldroberts9743 Ай бұрын

The death of music is referring to Buddy Holly, Big bopper, and Richey Valens plane crash... The band who took the field is referring to the Beatles... The King and Queen is referring to Elvis Presley and Joan Baez... The Jester is Bob Dillan... Bob Dillan was in a cast due to a motor cycle crash, broke his arm... Helter Skelter is referring to the Manson murders... Sweet Perfume is referring to Agent orange or tear gas... Jack Flash is a song by the Rolling Stones... Rolling stones had problems performing at candle stick park in the late 1960's... The Hells Angels were security at the concert... The devil he was referring to was Mick Jagger... The girl who sang the blues is referring to Janis Joplin... The three wise men are referring to John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King... This song has so many different meanings that trying to interoperate them is hard...

@barryhickman6911 4 ай бұрын

James Dean made only three movies but became a 1950s heart throb and a cult classic personality! GREAT reaction by you!!!!

@Kathy-ub8ur 4 ай бұрын

Great reaction. Loss of innocence, yes. But, the comments below fill in the details (much better than I could lol.)

@philpinckley1720 4 ай бұрын

A true masterpiece!

@mikecaetano 4 ай бұрын

"What's a Chevy on a levee?" was the question I asked my mom the the first time I heard this song when I was four or five years old way back in 1972 or thereabouts. I bet she was glad I didn't ask her about whiskey and rye! The day the music died is the day Buddy Holly died in a plane crash in 1959. One of Holly's biggest hits was "That'll Be The Day", with a chorus that ends with the line "Because that'll be the day when I die". So the good old boys drinking whiskey and rye were singing an ode to the late Buddy Holly. If you're not familiar with the songs of Buddy Holly and want a taste of their inspiration for this song, start with "That'll Be the Day" because this song points back to it directly. After that, check out "Words of Love", "Maybe Baby", "Not Fade Away", "Bo Diddley", "Everyday", "Peggy Sue", "Oh Boy", and "Rave On" among many many others. Classic rock and roll.

@narlycat 4 ай бұрын

I think this song is the history of America for the decade after Buddy Holly died in 1959 to this song recorded in 1971. The Book of Love was a hit song in 1961. 1962 saw the removal of prayer in schools, the Quartet practiced in the park may be the Beatles in 1963, the Byrds flew Eight Miles High and falling fast was about the song of the same name by the Byrds in1965, the Jester may be Bob Dylan in a cast because Bob Dylan was in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and didn't perform/record for 2 years. The Sergeants played a marching tune refers to Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles in 1967, Helter Skelter was also by the Beatles in 1968, the Devil on the stage making him angry might be The Rolling Stones' 1968 classic song: Sympathy for the Devil, Jumpin' Jack Flash is also about Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones because that song came out in 1970, the references to football might be the movie MASH in 1969 in which the 2nd half of the movie was taken over by a football game. The thorny crown removed from the King could be the removal of prayer in schools in 1962 or how "the Jester" Bob Dylan and "the Quartet" The Beatles replaced "the King" Elvis Presley as the number one act. This song is definitely a collage of the 1960s. Also the chorus Bye Bye Ms. American pie drove my Chevy to the levy... refers to the innocent 1950s where nothing was more American than apple pie and there was a famous commercial that went: Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet. Finally the reference to "this will be the day that I die" is a reference to the famous hit by Buddy Holly entitled That Will Be the Day When I Die. And Buddy Holly unfortunately died in a plane crash in February 1959 after a concert in freezing Clear Lake, Iowa where his small aircraft went down shortly after take off heading for another concert in Minnesota.

@zwieseler 3 ай бұрын

I'm fairly sure that line should have read, "While LENNON read a book on Marx", because John Lennon flirted with Marxism for a year at one time. I love the reference to one of my favourite TV shows, Lost In Space, the original with Billy Mumy and Doctor Smith.

@kathleenfarraher9894 4 ай бұрын

This was what they considered a one hit wonder

@maryellengabler802 4 ай бұрын

Great road song.

@donnadubyak6504 4 ай бұрын

An American classic

@tripp2 3 ай бұрын

You are truly an old soul. If you haven't listened to "Abraham, Martin and John by Dion DiMucci from 1968 yet you will like.

@jamescox9427 4 ай бұрын

The Levee was a tavern that had a juke box. When this song came out, it was hard for us teenagers to understand everything referenced, and we lived through most of it. From the Beatles to the Rolling Stones to the Hell's Angels. From Elvis to Bob Dylan to Charles Mansion. And several others just for kicks. I don't know how a twenty something or 30 something is supposed to understand any of it.

@jamescox9427 4 ай бұрын

Jack Flash was Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. The Stones had a big hit titled "Jumpin Jack Flash".

@AliasMark69 4 ай бұрын

"DEEP!!.... The menu here at the Classic Rock Restaurant runs real deep. Glad you enjoyed this tasty dish. On The House.

@GeorgeinScotland 2 ай бұрын

It's such a brilliant song, would be great to hand the lyrics to youngsters studying music lyrics and ask them to figure it out who he is referring to through each line

@richardlittle8285 4 ай бұрын

Bob dylan steals elvis ' crown in a coat he borrowed from James Dean. ... Dylan was in big part inspired by the great actor Jimmy Dean as was the whole of the countrys youth. James Dean was immensely talented and relatable. He made a huge impact but also was tragically tsken from us in a car accident in 1955 at just 24. Look him up. Peace and Love - Stephen