American Pie

Madonna

About American Pie

"American Pie" is a song by American singer and songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was the number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 and also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the UK, the single reached number 2, where it stayed for 3 weeks, on its original 1971 release while a reissue in 1991 reached No. 12. The song was listed as the No. 5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century. A truncated version of the song was covered by Madonna in 2000 and reached No. 1 in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. McLean's combined version is the fourth longest song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 (at the time of release it was the longest), in addition to being the longest song to reach number one. The repeatedly mentioned phrase "the day the music died" refers to the plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll performers Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens. (The crash was not known by that name until after McLean's song became a hit.) The meaning of the other lyrics has long been debated, and for decades, McLean declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned. However, the overall theme of the song is the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation as symbolized by the plane crash that claimed the lives of three of its heroes. In 2017, McLean's original recording was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant". 


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A long, long time ago
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile
And I knew that if I had my chance
I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

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?
And can music save your mortal soul?
And can it 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 (both kicked off your shoes)
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage bronkin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pick-up truck
But I knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died

I started singing
Bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy
But the levy was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this will be the day that I die
This will be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
Well, I went down to the sacred store
Where I heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play

Well now, in the streets the children screamed (the children screamed)
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed (the poets dreamed)
But not a word was spoken (not a word was spoken)
The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire the most
The father, son, and the holy ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

We started singing
Bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy
But the levy was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this will be the day that I die
This will be the day that I die

Bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy
But the levy was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this will be the day that I die
This will be the day that I die

We started singing
We started singing
We started singing
We started singing

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Madonna

Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone /tʃɪˈkoʊneɪ/ chi-KOH-nay; August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, dancer and entrepreneur. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, she is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. Critics have praised her diverse musical productions which have also been known to induce controversy. more »

16 fans

Written by: Don McLean

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


2 facts about this song

American Pie" by Don McLean
(Origin) "American Pie" is a song by American singer-songwriter Don McLean. Recorded in 1971 and released on the album of the same name. - (Significance) The song is a folk/rock musical saga that is an allegorical chronicle of the changes in American society and pop culture from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. - (Length) The original song is among one of the longest songs to have been released as a single, with a runtime of 8 minutes and 42 seconds. - (Chart Success) "American Pie" was a major hit, reaching No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in 1972. - (Song Lyrics) The lyrics to the song have been analyzed exhaustively with McLean never fully explaining the song's abstract narrative which appears to mourn the loss of an idyllic past. - (Cultural Impact) In 2017, "American Pie" was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”
American Pie" by Madonna
(Cover Version) Madonna covered "American Pie" in 2000 for the soundtrack of her movie "The Next Best Thing". - (Chart Success) Madonna's cover of the song was a global hit, reaching No. 1 in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. - (Song Length) Madonna’s version of the song is condensed, running at 4 minutes and 33 seconds, nearly half the length of the original. - (Music Video) The music video of the song features Madonna and her backup singers and dancers dressed in patriotic attire, dancing in front of an American flag, as well as showing different people representing American society. - (Reception) Despite its commercial success, reception to Madonna's cover was mixed, with some critics appreciating her take on the classic song, but others criticizing her for not honoring the original's depth and significance. - (McLean's Reaction) Don McLean appreciated Madonna's cover and said, "It is a gift for her to have recorded 'American Pie'". - (Noteworthy) Madonna's recording of "American Pie" was later included in her 2001 compilation album "GHV2".

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    American Pie

    8.9M
    52,468     5,760

    Top Hot 100 Songs 2000

    Billboard #29


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