To the generations to come, never let this song die.

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.

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!

Its timeless because its about yesterday, and every generation has its yesterday. Its a tragically beautiful life. Live it. Love you all

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. 💔😢

May the music never die. May we all sing together in harmony.

At 22 yrs old in 2024 i hope this song is not only played, but is admired as deeply as i and many others admire it today. This song is timeless. The celebratory sorrow of a tale of saddness anyone can relate to is unbeatable. I still recall singing this with my grandparents before understanding it and realizing the meaning these words would possess someday. Music is the most universal, easiest understood form of communication. From individual to societal, music can deliver a message otherwise too vague, and too broad.

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.

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.

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.

This is my papa’s favorite song, i’am going to New Hampshire to see him tomorrow after swim practice :)

One of the greatest songs ever. I was a young kid when it came out. I’m now 61 and still love hearing 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. . . .😇

Don McClean is a magnificent storyteller.

Apparently everyone’s dad loved this song

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

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.

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

February 3, 1959 💔😢 Rest in paradise, love and music... Ritchie Valens 🙏 🎶 🎸❤ Buddy Holly 🙏 🎶❤ The Big Bopper 🙏 🎶❤

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 😮.

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 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.

[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"

This song is longer than 8 minutes but you're not bored listening and that makes this song amazing.

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.

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 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!

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. ❤

One of the best songs ever .. ever ., written ! Alongside Bohemian Rhapsody

I could sing the whole song in my teens. I'm 68 now. Brings back lots of old memories. This was music I studied with. I'm going to sing it at my next class reunion.

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 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!

Who's listening in 2024?

I was 15 years old when I bought this record when it first came out, after searching high and low for the original 8 minute and something version. More than 50 years later, I would give my right arm to have that record now. Though my vinyl copy is long gone, I cry every time I hear the song.

Dude "the day the music died" has to be one of the saddest possible sentences

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!

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

Anyone whos listen in 2024?

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.

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!!

Epic songs that can last generations. This is one of them.

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 👍

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’ve been hearing this song my whole life. Todays the first time listening from front to back. What a masterpiece

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.

2024 and how are people so depressed. Memories make happiness listen to the lyrics, dig it ❤️😎

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'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.

My brother died in the Covid years. I dedicated this song for his funeral. What a great guy will be missed by many… good bye brother , but not forgotten…

My Grandfather liked this song, RIP to my grandfather 🪦🕊️

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!

"I was a lonely teenage Broncin buck, with a pink carnation and a pick-up truck" Always loved that line

I'm currently only 22 years old. But I can't wait to play this around my kids. And my grandkids. Lovely song

Just sang this song during my nephew's birthday on 16 February 2024, and everybody was entertained even though I couldn't sing well after so many since 1996. Too high the tune for me now as grow older 😊

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!

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.

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 😊

This is the true American spirit🎉

how can I feel so much nostalgia for something that I've never listened to before.

One of the greatest Rock n Roll tunes ever written. A 4ever classic. ❤

She may be physically gone, but her spirit is still with me. Im sorry things happened the way they did. RIP kathy 08/1948 - 01/2024

Born in ‘90. Here in ‘24. This song is infinite

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.

I lost my wife on 13th August 2021. This song makes me flood with tears every time I hear it. I love her so.

One of the songs that makes me sing along and brings the nostalgia of the era that I didn't live in

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

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 🇵🇭

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.

My dad loved this song. I’m listening to his old jamz 😢. Rip dad ❤

23 million 2. Years. All is as it should be - as above so below. Amen 💚💙

"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

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.

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.

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.

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!

What a beautiful piece of music! Hats off to Don McLean!

Iconic song it will not get old

Actually well put together.. I remember when it first aired on fm radio stations back in the day,,, good times indeed.

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.

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.

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".

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

OMG!!! I always wanted one of these for American Pie! Thank you Don McLean, you’re the best singer ever ❤️

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!

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❤

This is a certified hood classic

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]

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

Happy 4th of July!

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

One of the key tracks of my childhood & beyond. The ultimate "loss of innocence" song. Thanks for the glorious, moving illustrations! ✌️♥️🎶

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

Luv this song, it came out when I was kid. Great tribute to the musicians we lost way back then...ty

2024 and we still hearing this classic song and till this day it still resonates ❤ #Forever

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'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.

Impossible to not get teary eyed listening to this song, I play this song once a day for a reality check

Heard this song in the Black Widow movie a while ago, and decided immediately that I loved this old song. It's just such a fun song to listen to. Please, never ever let this song be forgotten.