American Pie

  • Thread starter Thread starter chazba
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chazba

terminally hip
I can't think of another song that caused as much head-scratching
and controversy as American Pie. The imagery and skilled use of
double meaning gave us all ( those of us conscious at the time, expaned or otherwise) something to ponder in those late night candle and incense hours after the gigs. Everyone thought they
had it figured out, and then someone would offer yet another
possible meaning for a line or verse. Even as late as Memorial
Day Weekend justpassed, I was party to a discussion including
musicians and "normals" where almost everyone had a different take on it. Who was JackFlash?? Who was the Jester?? Why does this song stay with us at all? Even the younger players, some not even born when it was getting played every hour are fascinated by the lyric. What's up with that?
 
With all due respect to double meanings etc, that has to be one of the longest boring songs I have ever heard; right up there with
"Stairway", "Freebird", "Hotel California" and "Light My Fire".
 
With all due respect to double meanings etc, that has to be one of the longest boring songs I have ever heard; right up there with
"Stairway", "Freebird", "Hotel California" and "Light My Fire".:D
 
Sorry to hear that, dragonworks

Yeah, some great cryptic lyrics in that song. The words themselves aren't over your head, but together they have this grand feeling that you can't quite grasp. Does the song mean anything or is it the result of a lot of drugs?

I always thought it was a cynical song about the music business going to hell and how its representative of how the world's going to hell. But that's probably what everyone thinks.

I'd like to hear some other interpretations. Anyone got any?
 
I have personaly heard on radio and from other musicians that the song "American Pie' is about the day Big Bopper, Rithie Valens and Buddy Holly went down. Who the hell knows, only Don
McLean might know. I gave up trying to understand anyone at any time.
 
I have played this tune many times with the composer ( Don McLean does symphony pops these days).

The song is about the death of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, etc.
There was a huge article called "The day the music died".

The song has references to the music of the times: Eight Miles High (Byrds) Helter Skelter, etc.

The rest of the song sounds good because it is a poem, that is all. I personally asked Don McLean about it, it is just a song.
 
"Jack Flash" was Richard Nixon. "The Jester" was Paul McCartney.
 
Buy, buy American pie.

Don't buy cheap pies made by slave labor in China.
 
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