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American Pie (song)

March 30, 2023

This article is about the Don McLean song. For the Shea Diamond song, see Shea Diamond.

"American Pie" is a song by American singer and songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released in 1971 on the album of the same name, the single was the number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 starting January 15[2] after just eight weeks on the US Billboard charts (where it entered at number 69).[3] The song also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the UK, the single reached number 2, where it stayed for three weeks on its original 1971 release, and 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 at least 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. At 8 minutes and 42 seconds, McLean's combined version is the sixth longest song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 (at the time of release it was the longest). The song also held the record for almost 50 years for being the longest song to reach number one[4] before Taylor Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" broke the record in 2021.[5] Due to its exceptional length, it was initially released as a two-sided 7-inch single.[6] "American Pie" has been described as "one of the most successful and debated songs of the 20th century".[7]

"American Pie"
U.S. vinyl single. Artwork was also used as the front cover for the album of the same name and many other international releases of the single.
Single by Don McLean
from the album American Pie
B-side
  • "Empty Chairs" (promo)
  • "American Pie part 2" (first release)
Released
  • October 1971 (original)
  • November 1991 (re-release)
RecordedMay 26, 1971
GenreFolk rock[1]
Length
  • 8:42 (LP)
  • 4:11 (single part 1)
  • 4:31 (single part 2)
LabelUnited Artists
Songwriter(s)Don McLean
Producer(s)Ed Freeman
Don McLean singles chronology
"Castles in the Air"
(1971) 		"American Pie"
(1971) 		"Vincent"
(1972)
Audio
"American Pie" on YouTube
Live video
"American Pie live performance on BBC, July 29, 1972" on YouTube

The repeated phrase "the day the music died" refers to a plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, ending the era of early rock and roll; this became the popular nickname for that crash. The theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean's childhood music heroes, reflecting the deep cultural changes and profound disillusion and loss of innocence of his generation[7] – the early rock and roll generation – that took place between the 1959 plane crash and either late 1969[8] or late 1970.[9][10] The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period, have been debated for decades. McLean repeatedly declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned; he eventually released his songwriting notes to accompany the original manuscript when it was sold in 2015, explaining many of these, and further elaborated on the lyrical meaning in a 2022 interview/documentary celebrating the song's 50th anniversary, in which he stated the song was driven by impressionism and debunked some of the more widely speculated symbols.

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".[11] To mark the 50th anniversary of the song, McLean is scheduled to perform a 35-date tour through Europe, starting in Wales and ending in Austria, in 2022.[12]

Background

Don McLean reportedly wrote "American Pie" in Saratoga Springs, New York, at Caffè Lena, but a 2011 New York Times article quotes McLean as disputing this claim.[13] Some employees at Caffè Lena claim that he started writing the song there, and then continued to write the song in both Cold Spring, New York,[14] and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[15] McLean claims that the song was only written in Cold Spring and Philadelphia.[13] Tin & Lint, a bar on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs, claims the song was written there, and a plaque marks the table. While some have claimed other places, such as Saint Joseph's University, as where the song was first performed,[16] McLean insists that the song made its debut in Philadelphia at Temple University[13] when he opened for Laura Nyro on March 14, 1971.[15] However a 2022 documentary on the history of the song notes that particular concert actually occurred at the nearby Saint Joseph's University.[17]

The song was produced by Ed Freeman and recorded with a few session musicians. Freeman did not want McLean to play rhythm guitar on the song but eventually relented. McLean and the session musicians rehearsed for two weeks but failed to get the song right. At the last minute, the pianist Paul Griffin was added, which is when the tune came together.[18] McLean used a 1969 or 1970 Martin D-28 guitar to provide the basic chords throughout "American Pie".[19]

The song debuted in the album American Pie in October 1971, and was released as a single in December. The song's eight-and-a-half-minute length meant that it could not fit entirely on one side of the 45 RPM record, so United Artists had the first 4:11 taking up the A-side of the record and the final 4:31 the B-side. Radio stations initially played the A-side of the song only, but soon switched to the full album version to satisfy their audiences.[20]

Interpretations

The sense of disillusion and loss that the song transmits isn’t just about deaths in the world of music, but also about a generation that could no longer believe in the utopian dreams of the 1950s… According to McLean, the song represents a shift from the naïve and innocent ‘50s to the darker decade of the ‘60s

Alva Yaffe, Musicholics, [7]

Don called his song a complicated parable, open to different interpretations. "People ask me if I left the lyrics open to ambiguity. Of course I did. I wanted to make a whole series of complex statements. The lyrics had to do with the state of society at the time."

Super seventies, [21]

The song has nostalgic themes,[22] 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."[23] 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 (all of whom 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".[24] 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"),[25] 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 and 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[26]), 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")),[27] the Cuban Missile Crisis ("Jack be nimble, Jack be quick"),[28] the murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner,[29] and elements of culture such as sock hops ("kicking off shoes" to dance, preventing damage to the varnished floor), cruising with a pickup truck,[27][30] the rise of the political protest song ("a voice that came from you and me"), drugs and the counterculture, the Manson Family and the Tate–LaBianca 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").[28]

The song title itself is a reference to apple pie, an unofficial symbol of the United States and one of its signature comfort foods,[31] as seen in the popular expression "As American as apple pie".[32] By the twentieth century, this had become a symbol of American prosperity and national pride.[32]

The original United Artists Records inner sleeve featured a free verse poem written by McLean about William Boyd, also known as Hopalong Cassidy, along with a picture of Boyd in full Hopalong regalia. Its inclusion in the album was interpreted to represent a sense of loss of a type of American culture as symbolized by Hopalong Cassidy and by black and white television as a whole.[33]

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."[34]

McLean reveals the meaning of the lyrics

For McLean, the song is a blueprint of his mind at the time and a homage to his musical influences, but also a roadmap for future students of history:

“If it starts young people thinking about Buddy Holly, about rock ‘n’ roll and that music, and then it teaches them maybe about what else happened in the country, maybe look at a little history, maybe ask why John Kennedy was shot and who did it, maybe ask why all our leaders were shot in the 1960s and who did it, maybe start to look at war and the stupidity of it — if that can happen, then the song really is serving a wonderful purpose and a positive purpose.”

Mark Kennedy, "Don McLean looks back at his masterpiece, 'American Pie'" (2022) [18]

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."[35] 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."[36] 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.[37] The lyrics and notes were auctioned on April 7, 2015, and sold for $1.2 million.[38] 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."[39] The catalogue 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, and did acknowledge that some of the more well-known symbols in the song were inspired by figures such as Elvis Presley ("the king") and Bob Dylan ("the jester").[39] In 2017, Bob Dylan was asked about how he was referenced in the song. "A jester? Sure, the jester writes songs like 'Masters of War', 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall', 'It's Alright, Ma' – some jester. I have to think he's talking about somebody else. Ask him."[40] Dylan's predictions were later confirmed to be true, when McLean denied that Dylan was the jester and Presley the king in the song.[41]

In 2022, the documentary The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie, produced by Spencer Proffer, was released on the Paramount+ video on-demand service. Proffer said that he told McLean: "It's time for you to reveal what 50 years of journalists have wanted to know." McLean stated that he “needed a big song about America", and the first verse and melody seemed to just come to mind: “A long, long, time ago...”.[18]

McLean then answers some of the long standing questions on the song's lyrics, although not all. He reveals that Elvis was not the king referenced in the song, the "girl who sang the blues" was not Janis Joplin, and Bob Dylan was not the jester, although he is open to other interpretations. He says that "marching band" means the military–industrial complex, "sweet perfume" refers to tear gas, and Los Angeles is the "coast" that the Trinity head to ("caught the last train for the coast") – "even God has been corrupted", he comments. He says that "This’ll be the day that I die" originated from the John Wayne film The Searchers (which inspired Buddy Holly's song "That'll Be the Day"), and "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" is a reference to a song by Pete Seeger, "Bye Bye, My Roseanna". McLean had originally intended to use "Miss American apple pie" but "apple" was dropped.[18]

On the whole, McLean stated that the lyrics were meant to be impressionist, and that many of the lyrics, only a portion of which were included in the finished recording, were completely fictional with no basis in real-life events.[41]

Personnel

Musicians

  • Don McLean – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Paul Griffin – piano, clavinet [42][43]
  • David Spinozza – electric guitar
  • Bob Rothstein – bass, backing vocals
  • Roy Markowitz – drums, tambourine
  • West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm and Noise Choir – chorus

Technical

  • Photography/ artwork – George Whiteman[44]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[61] 5× Platinum 400,000 
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] 2× Platinum 1,200,000 
United States (RIAA)[63] 3× Platinum 3,000,000 

  Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Parodies, revisions, and uses

In 1999, "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote and recorded a parody of "American Pie". Titled "The Saga Begins", the song recounts the plot of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s point of view. While McLean gave permission for the parody, he did not make a cameo appearance in its video, despite popular rumor. McLean himself praised the parody, even admitting to almost singing Yankovic's lyrics during his own live performances because his children played the song so often.[64][65] An unrelated comedy film franchise by Universal Pictures, who secured the rights to McLean's title, also debuted in 1999.[66]

"American Pie" was the last song to be played on Virgin Radio before it was rebranded as Absolute Radio in 2008.[67] It was also the last song played on BFBS Malta in 1979.

In 2012, the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, created a lip dub video to "American Pie" in response to a Newsweek article that stated the city was "dying".[68] (Due to licensing issues, the version used in the video was not the original, but rather a later-recorded live version.) The video was hailed as a fantastic performance by many, including film critic Roger Ebert, who said it was "the greatest music video ever made".[69]

On March 21, 2013, Harmonix announced that "American Pie" would be the final downloadable track made available for the Rock Band series of music video games.[70] This was the case until Rock Band 4 was released on October 6, 2015, reviving the series' weekly releases of DLC.

On March 14, 2015, the National Museum of Mathematics announced that one of two winners of its songwriting contest was "American Pi" by mathematics education professor Dr. Lawrence M. Lesser.[71] The contest was in honor of "Pi Day of the Century" because "3/14/15" would be the only day in the 21st-century showing the first five digits of π (pi).

On April 20, 2015, John Mayer covered "American Pie" live on the Late Show with David Letterman, at the request of the show's eponymous host.[72]

On January 29, 2021, McLean released a re-recording of "American Pie" featuring lead vocals by country a cappella group Home Free.[73]

The song was featured in Marvel’s Black Widow movie in 2021.[74] It is the favorite song of the title character, Black Widow (Yelena Belova). The song was sung by Red Guardian later in the film to comfort Yelena.[75]

"American Pie" is also featured in the 2021 Tom Hanks movie Finch.[76]

Madonna version

Background

"American Pie"
 
Single by Madonna
from the album The Next Best Thing
ReleasedFebruary 28, 2000 (2000-02-28)
Recorded
  • September 1999 (New York City)[77]
GenreDance-pop
Length4:33
Label
Songwriter(s)Don McLean
Producer(s)
Madonna singles chronology
"Beautiful Stranger"
(1999) 		"American Pie"
(2000) 		"Music"
(2000)
Music video
"American Pie" on YouTube

American singer Madonna released a cover version of the song in February 2000 to promote the soundtrack of her film The Next Best Thing (2000), with the song being serviced to radio on February 2, 2000.[78] Her cover is much shorter than the original (it contains only the beginning of the first verse and all of the second and sixth verses) and was recorded as a dance-pop song. It was co-produced by Madonna and William Orbit and released on the singer's Maverick label, after Rupert Everett (Madonna's co-star in The Next Best Thing) had convinced her to cover the song for the film's soundtrack.[79] Madonna said of her choice to cover the song: "To me, it's a real millennium song. We're going through a big change in terms of the way we view pop culture, because of the Internet. In a way, it's like saying goodbye to music as we knew it - and to pop culture as we knew it."[80] It is included as an international bonus track on her eighth studio album, Music.

"American Pie" was not included in the 2001 greatest hits compilation GHV2 (2001) because Madonna had regretted putting it on Music. "It was something a certain record company executive twisted my arm into doing, but it didn't belong on the album so now it's being punished... My gut told me not to [put the song on Music], but I did it and then I regretted it so just for that reason it didn't deserve a place on GHV2." she said.[81][82]

Release and reception

Released on February 28, 2000,[83] the song was a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Iceland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Finland. The song was the 19th-best-selling single of 2000 in the UK and the ninth best-selling single of 2000 in Sweden. The single was not released commercially in the United States, but it reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 due to strong radio airplay.

Chuck Taylor from Billboard, was impressed by the recording and commented, "Applause to Madonna for not pandering to today's temporary trends and for challenging programmers to broaden their playlists. ... In all, a fine preview of the forthcoming soundtrack to The Next Best Thing."[84] Peter Robinson of The Guardian called the cover as "brilliant".[85] Don McLean himself praised the cover, saying it was "a gift from a goddess", and that her version is "mystical and sensual".[86] NME, on the other hand, gave it a negative review, saying that "Killdozer did it first and did it better", that it was "sub-karaoke fluff" and that "it's a blessing she didn't bother recording the whole thing."[87]

In 2017, the Official Charts Company stated the song had sold 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom and was her 16th best selling single to date in the nation.[88]

Music video

The music video, filmed in the southern United States and in London[89] and directed by Philipp Stölzl, depicts a diverse array of ordinary Americans, including scenes showing same-sex couples kissing. Throughout the music video Madonna, who is wearing a tiara on her head, dances and sings in front of a large American flag.

Two official versions of the video were produced, the first of which now appears on Madonna's greatest-hits DVD compilation, Celebration, and was released as the official video worldwide. The second version was issued along with the "Humpty Remix", a more upbeat and dance-friendly version of the song. This video was aired on MTV's dance channel in the United States to promote the film The Next Best Thing, starring Madonna and Rupert Everett; it contains totally different footage and new outtakes of the original and omits the lesbian kiss. Everett, who provides backing vocals in the song, is also featured in the video.

Formats and track listings

  1. "American Pie" – 4:34
  2. "American Pie" (Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix) – 4:29
  3. "American Pie" (Victor Calderone Vocal Club Mix) – 9:07
  4. "American Pie" (Richard Humpty Vission Visits Madonna) – 5:43
  5. "American Pie" (Victor Calderone Extended Vocal Club Mix) – 10:36
  6. "American Pie" (Victor Calderone Vocal Dub Mix) – 6:15
  7. "American Pie" (Victor Calderone Filter Dub Mix) – 6:06

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the American Pie single liner notes.[91]

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[148] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[149] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[150] Gold 25,000*
Denmark — 12,701[151]
France (SNEP)[152] Gold 250,000*
Germany (BVMI)[153] Gold 250,000^
Italy — 70,000[154]
Spain — 35,000[155]
Sweden (GLF)[156] Platinum 30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[157] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[158] Gold 400,000[88]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

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  2. ^ "The Hot 100 Week of January 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Hot 100 Week of November 27, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "The Longest & Shortest Hot 100 Hits: From Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé & David Bowie to Piko-Taro". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Trust, Gary (November 22, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well (Taylor's Version)' Soars In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Don McLean explains why he won't reveal the meaning of "American Pie"". CBS News. March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017. "But the quartet practicing in the park, that's not the Beatles?" Axelrod asked. "No," McLean replied.
  7. ^ a b c "Decoding the Ambiguous Lyrics of Don McLean's American Pie". Musicoholics. July 26, 2020.
  8. ^ . UnderstandingAmericanPie.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2003. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  9. ^ The Day the Music Died: A Closer Look at the Lyrics of “American Pie”: States "I met a girl who sang the blues/And I asked her for some happy news/But she just smiled and turned away – McLean turns to Janis Joplin for hope, but she dies of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970."
  10. ^ Songfacts: American Pie: States that "The line, 'I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away,' is probably about Janis Joplin. She died of a drug overdose in 1970."
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Further reading

  • Adams, Cecil (May 15, 1993). "What is Don McLean's song 'American Pie' all about?". The Straight Dope. Chicago Reader, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009. An interpretation of the lyrics based on a supposed interview of McLean by DJ Casey Kasem. McLean later confirmed the Buddy Holly reference in a letter to Adams but denied ever speaking to Kasem.
  • Roteman, Jeff (August 10, 2002). "Bob Dearborn's Original Analysis of Don McLean's 1971 Classic 'American Pie'". This article correlates McLean's biography with the historic events in the song. McLean pointed to WCFL (Chicago, Illinois) radio disc jockey Bob Dearborn as the partial basis for most mainstream interpretations of "American Pie". Dearborn's analysis, mailed to listeners on request, bears the date January 7, 1972. Roteman's reprinting added photos but replaced the date January 7, 1972, by an audio link bearing the date February 28, 1972, the date Dearborn aired his interpretation on WCFL (http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/bobpie.ram (Bob Dearborn's American Pie Analysis original broadcast February 28, 1972)).
  • . Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018. Among the potpourri is a copy of the January 7, 1972, Bob Dearborn letter, plus an audio recording, in which he delineates his interpretation of "American Pie".
  • Fann, Jim. . Archived from the original on September 6, 2003. Historically oriented interpretation of "American Pie". The interpretation was specifically noted on in an archived version of McLean's website page on "American Pie".. The material, dated November 2002, includes a recording of Dinah Shore singing "See The USA In Your Chevrolet" and a photograph of Mick Jagger in costume at the Altamont Free Concert with a Hells Angel member in the background.
  • Kulawiec, Rich (August 26, 2001). "FAQ: The Annotated 'American Pie'". from the original on April 19, 2003. Retrieved September 19, 2007. FAQ maintained by Rich Kulawiec, started in 1992 and essentially completed in 1997.
  • A multi-media presentation of Rich Kulawiec's The Annotated "American Pie".
  • Levitt, Saul (May 26, 1971). "Interpretation of American Pie – analysis, news, Don McLean, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Rock & Roll". Missamericanpie.co.uk. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  • Schuck, Raymond I.; Schuck, Ray (2012). Do You Believe in Rock and Roll?: Essays on Don McLean's "American Pie". McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7105-8. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
Lyric interpretations and analysis

Many people have analyzed the lyrics since the song was released. Examples of these include:

  • Musicoholics: Decoding the Ambiguous Lyrics of Don McLean's American Pie
  • American Pie – The analysis and interpretation of Don McLean's song lyrics
  • Songfacts: American Pie
  • Flashbak: The Day the Music Died: A Closer Look at the Lyrics of “American Pie”
  • An Explanation of the Song, American Pie

External links

  • The Official Website of Don McLean and American Pie provides , and to the song's meaning.
  • Don McLean - American Pie (Part 1) on YouTube

March 30, 2023
american, song, this, article, about, mclean, song, shea, diamond, song, shea, diamond, american, song, american, singer, songwriter, mclean, recorded, released, 1971, album, same, name, single, number, four, weeks, 1972, starting, january, after, just, eight,. This article is about the Don McLean song For the Shea Diamond song see Shea Diamond American Pie is a song by American singer and songwriter Don McLean Recorded and released in 1971 on the album of the same name the single was the number one US hit for four weeks in 1972 starting January 15 2 after just eight weeks on the US Billboard charts where it entered at number 69 3 The song also topped the charts in Australia Canada and New Zealand In the UK the single reached number 2 where it stayed for three weeks on its original 1971 release and 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 at least 15 countries including the United Kingdom Canada and Australia At 8 minutes and 42 seconds McLean s combined version is the sixth longest song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at the time of release it was the longest The song also held the record for almost 50 years for being the longest song to reach number one 4 before Taylor Swift s All Too Well 10 Minute Version broke the record in 2021 5 Due to its exceptional length it was initially released as a two sided 7 inch single 6 American Pie has been described as one of the most successful and debated songs of the 20th century 7 American Pie U S vinyl single Artwork was also used as the front cover for the album of the same name and many other international releases of the single Single by Don McLeanfrom the album American PieB side Empty Chairs promo American Pie part 2 first release ReleasedOctober 1971 original November 1991 re release RecordedMay 26 1971GenreFolk rock 1 Length8 42 LP 4 11 single part 1 4 31 single part 2 LabelUnited ArtistsSongwriter s Don McLeanProducer s Ed FreemanDon McLean singles chronology Castles in the Air 1971 American Pie 1971 Vincent 1972 Audio American Pie on YouTubeLive video American Pie live performance on BBC July 29 1972 on YouTubeThe repeated phrase the day the music died refers to a plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens ending the era of early rock and roll this became the popular nickname for that crash The theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean s childhood music heroes reflecting the deep cultural changes and profound disillusion and loss of innocence of his generation 7 the early rock and roll generation that took place between the 1959 plane crash and either late 1969 8 or late 1970 9 10 The meaning of the other lyrics which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period have been debated for decades McLean repeatedly declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned he eventually released his songwriting notes to accompany the original manuscript when it was sold in 2015 explaining many of these and further elaborated on the lyrical meaning in a 2022 interview documentary celebrating the song s 50th anniversary in which he stated the song was driven by impressionism and debunked some of the more widely speculated symbols 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 11 To mark the 50th anniversary of the song McLean is scheduled to perform a 35 date tour through Europe starting in Wales and ending in Austria in 2022 12 Contents 1 Background 1 1 Interpretations 1 2 McLean reveals the meaning of the lyrics 2 Personnel 2 1 Musicians 2 2 Technical 3 Charts 3 1 Weekly charts 3 2 Year end charts 3 3 All time charts 4 Certifications 5 Parodies revisions and uses 6 Madonna version 6 1 Background 6 2 Release and reception 6 3 Music video 6 4 Formats and track listings 6 5 Credits and personnel 6 6 Charts 6 6 1 Weekly charts 6 6 2 Year end charts 6 7 Certifications and sales 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksBackground EditDon McLean reportedly wrote American Pie in Saratoga Springs New York at Caffe Lena but a 2011 New York Times article quotes McLean as disputing this claim 13 Some employees at Caffe Lena claim that he started writing the song there and then continued to write the song in both Cold Spring New York 14 and Philadelphia Pennsylvania 15 McLean claims that the song was only written in Cold Spring and Philadelphia 13 Tin amp Lint a bar on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs claims the song was written there and a plaque marks the table While some have claimed other places such as Saint Joseph s University as where the song was first performed 16 McLean insists that the song made its debut in Philadelphia at Temple University 13 when he opened for Laura Nyro on March 14 1971 15 However a 2022 documentary on the history of the song notes that particular concert actually occurred at the nearby Saint Joseph s University 17 The song was produced by Ed Freeman and recorded with a few session musicians Freeman did not want McLean to play rhythm guitar on the song but eventually relented McLean and the session musicians rehearsed for two weeks but failed to get the song right At the last minute the pianist Paul Griffin was added which is when the tune came together 18 McLean used a 1969 or 1970 Martin D 28 guitar to provide the basic chords throughout American Pie 19 The song debuted in the album American Pie in October 1971 and was released as a single in December The song s eight and a half minute length meant that it could not fit entirely on one side of the 45 RPM record so United Artists had the first 4 11 taking up the A side of the record and the final 4 31 the B side Radio stations initially played the A side of the song only but soon switched to the full album version to satisfy their audiences 20 Interpretations Edit The sense of disillusion and loss that the song transmits isn t just about deaths in the world of music but also about a generation that could no longer believe in the utopian dreams of the 1950s According to McLean the song represents a shift from the naive and innocent 50s to the darker decade of the 60s Alva Yaffe Musicholics 7 Don called his song a complicated parable open to different interpretations People ask me if I left the lyrics open to ambiguity Of course I did I wanted to make a whole series of complex statements The lyrics had to do with the state of society at the time Super seventies 21 The song has nostalgic themes 22 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 23 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 all of whom 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 24 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 25 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 and 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 26 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 27 the Cuban Missile Crisis Jack be nimble Jack be quick 28 the murders of civil rights workers James Chaney Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner 29 and elements of culture such as sock hops kicking off shoes to dance preventing damage to the varnished floor cruising with a pickup truck 27 30 the rise of the political protest song a voice that came from you and me drugs and the counterculture the Manson Family and the Tate LaBianca 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 28 The song title itself is a reference to apple pie an unofficial symbol of the United States and one of its signature comfort foods 31 as seen in the popular expression As American as apple pie 32 By the twentieth century this had become a symbol of American prosperity and national pride 32 The original United Artists Records inner sleeve featured a free verse poem written by McLean about William Boyd also known as Hopalong Cassidy along with a picture of Boyd in full Hopalong regalia Its inclusion in the album was interpreted to represent a sense of loss of a type of American culture as symbolized by Hopalong Cassidy and by black and white television as a whole 33 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 34 McLean reveals the meaning of the lyrics Edit For McLean the song is a blueprint of his mind at the time and a homage to his musical influences but also a roadmap for future students of history If it starts young people thinking about Buddy Holly about rock n roll and that music and then it teaches them maybe about what else happened in the country maybe look at a little history maybe ask why John Kennedy was shot and who did it maybe ask why all our leaders were shot in the 1960s and who did it maybe start to look at war and the stupidity of it if that can happen then the song really is serving a wonderful purpose and a positive purpose Mark Kennedy Don McLean looks back at his masterpiece American Pie 2022 18 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 35 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 36 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 37 The lyrics and notes were auctioned on April 7 2015 and sold for 1 2 million 38 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 39 The catalogue 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 and did acknowledge that some of the more well known symbols in the song were inspired by figures such as Elvis Presley the king and Bob Dylan the jester 39 In 2017 Bob Dylan was asked about how he was referenced in the song A jester Sure the jester writes songs like Masters of War A Hard Rain s a Gonna Fall It s Alright Ma some jester I have to think he s talking about somebody else Ask him 40 Dylan s predictions were later confirmed to be true when McLean denied that Dylan was the jester and Presley the king in the song 41 In 2022 the documentary The Day the Music Died The Story of Don McLean s American Pie produced by Spencer Proffer was released on the Paramount video on demand service Proffer said that he told McLean It s time for you to reveal what 50 years of journalists have wanted to know McLean stated that he needed a big song about America and the first verse and melody seemed to just come to mind A long long time ago 18 McLean then answers some of the long standing questions on the song s lyrics although not all He reveals that Elvis was not the king referenced in the song the girl who sang the blues was not Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan was not the jester although he is open to other interpretations He says that marching band means the military industrial complex sweet perfume refers to tear gas and Los Angeles is the coast that the Trinity head to caught the last train for the coast even God has been corrupted he comments He says that This ll be the day that I die originated from the John Wayne film The Searchers which inspired Buddy Holly s song That ll Be the Day and Bye Bye Miss American Pie is a reference to a song by Pete Seeger Bye Bye My Roseanna McLean had originally intended to use Miss American apple pie but apple was dropped 18 On the whole McLean stated that the lyrics were meant to be impressionist and that many of the lyrics only a portion of which were included in the finished recording were completely fictional with no basis in real life events 41 Personnel EditMusicians Edit Don McLean vocals acoustic guitar Paul Griffin piano clavinet 42 43 David Spinozza electric guitar Bob Rothstein bass backing vocals Roy Markowitz drums tambourine West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm and Noise Choir chorusTechnical Edit Photography artwork George Whiteman 44 Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Chart 1971 1972 PeakpositionAustralia Kent Music Report 45 1Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 46 26Canada Top Singles RPM 47 1Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 48 1Ireland IRMA 49 7New Zealand Listener 50 1Norway VG lista 51 9Spanish Singles Chart 52 9UK Singles OCC 53 2US Billboard Hot 100 54 1US Adult Contemporary Billboard 55 1West Germany Official German Charts 56 9 Year end charts Edit Chart 1972 PositionAustralia Kent Music Report 45 4Canada Top Singles RPM 57 1UK Singles OCC 58 11US Billboard Hot 100 59 3All time charts Edit Chart 1958 2018 PositionUS Billboard Hot 100 60 210Certifications EditRegion Certification Certified units salesCanada Music Canada 61 5 Platinum 400 000 United Kingdom BPI 62 2 Platinum 1 200 000 United States RIAA 63 3 Platinum 3 000 000 Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Parodies revisions and uses EditIn 1999 Weird Al Yankovic wrote and recorded a parody of American Pie Titled The Saga Begins the song recounts the plot of Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace from Obi Wan Kenobi s point of view While McLean gave permission for the parody he did not make a cameo appearance in its video despite popular rumor McLean himself praised the parody even admitting to almost singing Yankovic s lyrics during his own live performances because his children played the song so often 64 65 An unrelated comedy film franchise by Universal Pictures who secured the rights to McLean s title also debuted in 1999 66 American Pie was the last song to be played on Virgin Radio before it was rebranded as Absolute Radio in 2008 67 It was also the last song played on BFBS Malta in 1979 In 2012 the City of Grand Rapids Michigan created a lip dub video to American Pie in response to a Newsweek article that stated the city was dying 68 Due to licensing issues the version used in the video was not the original but rather a later recorded live version The video was hailed as a fantastic performance by many including film critic Roger Ebert who said it was the greatest music video ever made 69 On March 21 2013 Harmonix announced that American Pie would be the final downloadable track made available for the Rock Band series of music video games 70 This was the case until Rock Band 4 was released on October 6 2015 reviving the series weekly releases of DLC On March 14 2015 the National Museum of Mathematics announced that one of two winners of its songwriting contest was American Pi by mathematics education professor Dr Lawrence M Lesser 71 The contest was in honor of Pi Day of the Century because 3 14 15 would be the only day in the 21st century showing the first five digits of p pi On April 20 2015 John Mayer covered American Pie live on the Late Show with David Letterman at the request of the show s eponymous host 72 On January 29 2021 McLean released a re recording of American Pie featuring lead vocals by country a cappella group Home Free 73 The song was featured in Marvel s Black Widow movie in 2021 74 It is the favorite song of the title character Black Widow Yelena Belova The song was sung by Red Guardian later in the film to comfort Yelena 75 American Pie is also featured in the 2021 Tom Hanks movie Finch 76 Madonna version EditBackground Edit American Pie Single by Madonnafrom the album The Next Best ThingReleasedFebruary 28 2000 2000 02 28 RecordedSeptember 1999 New York City 77 GenreDance popLength4 33LabelMaverick Warner Bros Songwriter s Don McLeanProducer s Madonna William OrbitMadonna singles chronology Beautiful Stranger 1999 American Pie 2000 Music 2000 Music video American Pie on YouTubeAmerican singer Madonna released a cover version of the song in February 2000 to promote the soundtrack of her film The Next Best Thing 2000 with the song being serviced to radio on February 2 2000 78 Her cover is much shorter than the original it contains only the beginning of the first verse and all of the second and sixth verses and was recorded as a dance pop song It was co produced by Madonna and William Orbit and released on the singer s Maverick label after Rupert Everett Madonna s co star in The Next Best Thing had convinced her to cover the song for the film s soundtrack 79 Madonna said of her choice to cover the song To me it s a real millennium song We re going through a big change in terms of the way we view pop culture because of the Internet In a way it s like saying goodbye to music as we knew it and to pop culture as we knew it 80 It is included as an international bonus track on her eighth studio album Music American Pie was not included in the 2001 greatest hits compilation GHV2 2001 because Madonna had regretted putting it on Music It was something a certain record company executive twisted my arm into doing but it didn t belong on the album so now it s being punished My gut told me not to put the song on Music but I did it and then I regretted it so just for that reason it didn t deserve a place on GHV2 she said 81 82 Release and reception Edit Released on February 28 2000 83 the song was a worldwide hit reaching No 1 in many countries including the United Kingdom Australia Iceland Italy Germany Switzerland Austria and Finland The song was the 19th best selling single of 2000 in the UK and the ninth best selling single of 2000 in Sweden The single was not released commercially in the United States but it reached No 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 due to strong radio airplay Chuck Taylor from Billboard was impressed by the recording and commented Applause to Madonna for not pandering to today s temporary trends and for challenging programmers to broaden their playlists In all a fine preview of the forthcoming soundtrack to The Next Best Thing 84 Peter Robinson of The Guardian called the cover as brilliant 85 Don McLean himself praised the cover saying it was a gift from a goddess and that her version is mystical and sensual 86 NME on the other hand gave it a negative review saying that Killdozer did it first and did it better that it was sub karaoke fluff and that it s a blessing she didn t bother recording the whole thing 87 In 2017 the Official Charts Company stated the song had sold 400 000 copies in the United Kingdom and was her 16th best selling single to date in the nation 88 Music video Edit The music video filmed in the southern United States and in London 89 and directed by Philipp Stolzl depicts a diverse array of ordinary Americans including scenes showing same sex couples kissing Throughout the music video Madonna who is wearing a tiara on her head dances and sings in front of a large American flag Two official versions of the video were produced the first of which now appears on Madonna s greatest hits DVD compilation Celebration and was released as the official video worldwide The second version was issued along with the Humpty Remix a more upbeat and dance friendly version of the song This video was aired on MTV s dance channel in the United States to promote the film The Next Best Thing starring Madonna and Rupert Everett it contains totally different footage and new outtakes of the original and omits the lesbian kiss Everett who provides backing vocals in the song is also featured in the video Formats and track listings Edit Digital single 90 American Pie 4 34 American Pie Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix 4 29 American Pie Victor Calderone Vocal Club Mix 9 07 American Pie Richard Humpty Vission Visits Madonna 5 43 American Pie Victor Calderone Extended Vocal Club Mix 10 36 American Pie Victor Calderone Vocal Dub Mix 6 15 American Pie Victor Calderone Filter Dub Mix 6 06Credits and personnel Edit Credits and personnel are adapted from the American Pie single liner notes 91 Madonna vocals producer William Orbit producer guitar drums and keyboard Don McLean writer Mark Spike Stent mixing Rupert Everett backup vocals Mark Endert engineering Sean Spuehler engineering programming Jake Davies engineering Rico Conning sequencer programming Dah Len photographyCharts Edit Weekly charts Edit Weekly chart performance for American Pie Chart 2000 PeakpositionAustralia ARIA 92 1Austria O3 Austria Top 40 93 3Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 94 6Belgium Ultratop 50 Wallonia 95 7Canada Nielsen SoundScan 96 1Canada Top Singles RPM 97 4Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 98 7Canada Dance Urban RPM 99 23Croatia HRT 100 9Czech Republic IFPI 101 1Denmark IFPI 102 2Europe Eurochart Hot 100 103 1Finland Suomen virallinen lista 104 1France SNEP 105 8Germany Official German Charts 106 1Greece IFPI Greece 102 3Hungary Mahasz 107 1Iceland Islenski Listinn Topp 40 108 1Ireland IRMA 109 2Italy FIMI 110 1Netherlands Dutch Top 40 111 4Netherlands Single Top 100 112 6New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 113 4Norway VG lista 114 1Paraguay Notimex 115 2Romania Romanian Top 100 116 1Scotland OCC 117 1Spain PROMUSICAE 118 1Sweden Sverigetopplistan 119 1Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 120 1UK Singles OCC 121 1US Billboard Hot 100 122 29US Adult Contemporary Billboard 123 21US Adult Top 40 Billboard 124 20US Dance Club Songs Billboard 125 1US Mainstream Top 40 Billboard 126 16 Year end charts Edit Year end chart performance for American Pie Chart 2000 PositionAustralia ARIA 127 66Austria O3 Austria Top 40 128 32Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 129 46Belgium Ultratop 50 Wallonia 130 44Denmark IFPI 131 7Europe Eurochart Hot 100 132 11France SNEP 133 44Germany Official German Charts 134 16Iceland Islenski Listinn Topp 40 135 16Ireland IRMA 136 38Netherlands Dutch Top 40 137 42Netherlands Single Top 100 138 46Norway Spring Period VG lista 139 5Romania Romanian Top 100 116 50Spain PROMUSICAE 140 10Sweden Sverigetopplistan 141 9Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 142 11UK Singles OCC 143 19US Dance Club Songs Billboard 144 37US Adult Top 40 Billboard 145 72US Mainstream Top 40 Billboard 145 88Chart 2001 PositionCanada Nielsen SoundScan 146 78Chart 2002 PositionCanada Nielsen SoundScan 147 116 Certifications and sales Edit Region Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 148 Gold 35 000 Austria IFPI Austria 149 Gold 25 000 Belgium BEA 150 Gold 25 000 Denmark 12 701 151 France SNEP 152 Gold 250 000 Germany BVMI 153 Gold 250 000 Italy 70 000 154 Spain 35 000 155 Sweden GLF 156 Platinum 30 000 Switzerland IFPI Switzerland 157 Gold 25 000 United Kingdom BPI 158 Gold 400 000 88 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone See also Edit United States portalVincent Don McLean song List of Australian chart achievements and milestones List of Romanian Top 100 number ones of the 2000s List of best selling singles by year Germany References Edit DeMain Bill August 18 2021 The story behind American Pie by Don McLean Loudersound com Retrieved October 31 2021 The Hot 100 Week of January 15 1972 Billboard Retrieved January 16 2021 The Hot 100 Week of November 27 1971 Billboard Retrieved January 16 2021 The Longest amp Shortest Hot 100 Hits From Kendrick Lamar Beyonce amp David Bowie to Piko Taro Billboard Retrieved May 11 2019 Trust Gary November 22 2021 Taylor Swift s All Too Well Taylor s Version Soars In at No 1 on Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved November 23 2021 a b c Don McLean explains why he won t reveal the meaning of American Pie CBS News March 29 2017 Retrieved March 30 2017 But the quartet practicing in the park that s not the Beatles Axelrod asked No McLean replied a b c Decoding the Ambiguous Lyrics of Don McLean s American Pie Musicoholics July 26 2020 Understanding American Pie Interpretation of Don Mclean s epic anthem to the passing of an era UnderstandingAmericanPie com Archived from the original on September 6 2003 Retrieved March 30 2017 The Day the Music Died A Closer Look at the Lyrics of American Pie States I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away McLean turns to Janis Joplin for hope but she dies of a heroin overdose on October 4 1970 Songfacts American Pie States that The line I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news but she just smiled and turned away is probably about Janis Joplin She died of a drug overdose in 1970 National Recording Registry Picks Are Over the Rainbow Library of Congress March 29 2017 Retrieved March 29 2017 Don McLean sets American Pie 50th anniversary Europe UK tour AM 880 KIXI September 21 2021 Retrieved September 21 2021 a b c American Pie Still Homemade but With a New Twist The New York Times November 30 2011 Retrieved March 30 2017 Release Don Mclean s Original Manuscript For American Pie To Be Sold At Christie s New York 7 April 2015 Christie s February 13 2015 Retrieved February 14 2015 a b Memory Bank s a Little Off But Sentiment Still Holds Philly August 12 2012 Retrieved August 14 2012 McDonald Shannon November 28 2011 Don McLean American Pie was written in Philly and first performed at Saint Joseph s University Newsworks Archived from the original on December 22 2015 Retrieved December 19 2015 The Day The Music Died American Pie Watch Movie Trailer Paramount Plus retrieved July 29 2022 a b c d Kennedy Mark July 20 2022 Don McLean looks back at his masterpiece American Pie AP Coen Jim April 23 2015 Don McLean Revisits His Tasty Classic American Pie Guitar World Retrieved September 3 2021 Schuck amp Schuck 2012 p 15 American Pie Don McLean Super seventies Browne Ray Broadus Ambrosetti Ronald J May 11 1993 Continuities in Popular Culture The Present in the Past amp the Past in the Present and Future Popular Press ISBN 978 0 87972 593 8 Retrieved May 11 2019 via Google Books American Pie Don McLean com p 68 Archived from the original on February 12 2009 Retrieved February 10 2009 McLean Don February 1 2009 Commentary Buddy Holly rock music genius CNN Retrieved November 28 2011 Maslin Janet in Miller Jim ed 1981 The Rolling Stone History of Rock amp Roll p 220 Murder at the Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end History com a b American Pie Lyrics What Do They Mean WHRC WI a b Barrell Tony March 26 2015 The American pie enigma O Brien P March 3 1999 Understanding the lyrics of American Pie The analysis and interpretation of Don McLean s song lyrics The Octopus s Garden Archived from the original on April 7 2013 Retrieved July 20 2013 American Pie Edlis Retrieved March 30 2017 D Aiutolo Olivia August 17 2015 A Pinch of History Amelia Simmons s Apple Pie Fondly Pennsylvania Historical Society of Pennsylvania Retrieved June 11 2018 a b Cambridge University Press 2011 Definition of as American as apple pie Cambridge Advanced Learner s Dictionary amp Thesaurus Fann James M December 10 2006 Understanding AMERICAN PIE Retrieved April 3 2013 Don McLean An American Troubadour Television production UK Sky Arts 1 2013 Howard Dr Alan The Don McLean Story 1970 1976 Don McLean com Archived from the original on July 11 2007 Retrieved June 3 2007 What is Don McLean s song American Pie all about The Straight Dope May 14 1993 Archived from the original on May 28 2007 Retrieved June 3 2007 Don McLean to reveal meaning of American Pie lyrics BBC News February 13 2015 Retrieved February 13 2015 American Pie lyrics sell for 1 2m BBC News April 7 2015 a b Hawksley Rupert April 7 2015 American Pie 6 crazy conspiracy theories The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on January 12 2022 Bob Dylan s Surprise New Interview 9 Things We Learned Rolling Stone March 23 2017 Retrieved March 26 2017 a b Farber Jim July 19 2022 I said Don it s time for you to reveal 50 years later the truth behind American Pie The Guardian Archived from the original on July 19 2022 Retrieved July 19 2022 Hasted Nick April 7 2015 The Making Of Don McLean s American Pie uncut co uk Retrieved December 14 2017 Hepworth Paul 2016 1971 Never a Dull Moment Rock s Best Year Bantam Press p 330 ISBN 978 059307486 2 Don McLean American Pie 1971 Classic Album Art a b Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 doc Australian Chart Book St Ives N S W ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Don McLean American Pie in Dutch Ultratop 50 Retrieved November 15 2017 Top RPM Singles Issue 5302 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved January 30 2020 Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 5343 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved January 30 2020 The Irish Charts Search Results American Pie Irish Singles Chart Retrieved November 15 2017 NZ Listener chart statistics for American Pie flavourofnz co nz Retrieved January 30 2020 Don McLean American Pie VG lista Retrieved December 19 2015 Salaverri Fernando September 2005 Solo exitos ano a ano 1959 2002 1st ed Spain Fundacion Autor SGAE ISBN 84 8048 639 2 Don McLean Artist Chart History Official Charts Company Retrieved March 1 2021 Don McLean Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved March 3 2016 Don McLean Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard Retrieved March 3 2016 Offiziellecharts de Don McLean American Pie GfK Entertainment charts Retrieved November 15 2017 To see peak chart position click TITEL VON Don McLean RPM Top Singles of 1972 RPM Vol 18 no 21 22 January 13 1973 p 20 Top Selling Singles for 1972 Sounds London England Spotlight Publications January 1973 Billboard Top 100 1972 Archived from the original on February 16 2016 Retrieved January 2 2011 Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart Billboard Retrieved December 10 2018 Canadian single certifications Don McLean American Pie Music Canada Retrieved July 11 2022 British single certifications Don McLean American Pie British Phonographic Industry Retrieved March 3 2023 American single certifications Don McLean American Pie Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved April 3 2021 Ask Al Q amp As for September 1999 Archived from the original on September 2 2006 Retrieved October 29 2006 Jedi Council Interviews Weird Al Yankovic TheForce Net September 14 1980 Retrieved May 20 2010 Parish James Robert June 2000 Jason Biggs Hollywod s Newest Cutie Pie Macmillan Publishers pp 3 5 126 ISBN 0 312 97622 4 Retrieved September 3 2021 Mixcloud Mixcloud The Grand Rapids Lip Dub NPR Retrieved October 29 2012 Ebert Roger The greatest music video ever made Chicago Sun Times Archived from the original on September 2 2011 Rock Band s final song will be Don McLean s American Pie Polygon March 21 2013 Retrieved April 1 2014 2015 Pi Day Contest Winners National Museum of Mathematics Retrieved April 8 2015 John Mayer covers American Pie for David Letterman theweek com April 20 2015 Don McLean releases new a cappella version of American Pie featuring country vocal group Home Free abcnewsradioonline com January 29 2021 David Harbour says it was his idea to use the song American Pie in Black Widow because his big scene with Florence Pugh needed to be more profound news yahoo com July 10 2021 David Harbour Explains the Significance of American Pie in Black Widow ScreenRant July 12 2021 Retrieved August 5 2021 Anderson John November 3 2021 Finch Review Man s Best Friends WSJ Retrieved November 6 2021 Kaufman Gil September 24 1999 Madonna and William Orbit take another spin in studio MTV News Retrieved December 31 2015 American Pie Hits Radio Madonna com Retrieved December 19 2015 Madonna s piece of American Pie BBC News February 3 2000 Retrieved May 4 2015 Farber Jim February 27 2000 Mellow Madonna the star reflects on playing a loser in love in The Next Best Thing New York Daily News Retrieved December 10 2022 Jo Whiley Interviews Madonna BBC Radio 1 November 23 2001 Archived from the original on December 5 2001 Retrieved October 25 2015 Madonna rejected American Pie for GHV2 Raidio Teilifis Eireann November 23 2001 Retrieved February 14 2016 New Releases For Week Starting 28 February 2000 Singles PDF Music Week February 26 2000 p 27 Retrieved July 28 2021 Taylor Chuck February 12 2000 Spotlight Madonna American Pie Billboard ISSN 0006 2510 Retrieved April 28 2010 Robinson Peter August 15 2008 Madonna 50 poptastic facts The Guardian Retrieved June 6 2022 Don McLean Praises Madonna s American Pie MTV February 2 2000 Retrieved May 3 2015 NME Track Reviews American Pie NME February 26 2000 Retrieved October 29 2012 a b Copsey Rob March 9 2017 Flashback Madonna scored her 9th UK Number 1 single with American Pie 17 years ago this week Official Charts Company Retrieved March 9 2017 Ciccone Christopher 2008 Life with my Sister Madonna Simon amp Schuster New York p 278 American Pie Single by Madonna on Apple Music Apple Music Retrieved March 22 2022 American Pie Liner notes Madonna Maverick Records 2000 9362448372 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link Madonna American Pie ARIA Top 50 Singles Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie in German O3 Austria Top 40 Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie in Dutch Ultratop 50 Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie in French Ultratop 50 Retrieved December 20 2016 Hits of the World Canada Billboard March 18 2000 p 52 Retrieved September 17 2019 Top RPM Singles Issue 9756 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved September 17 2019 Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 9764 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved September 17 2019 Top RPM Dance Urban Issue 9729 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved September 17 2019 HR Top 20 Lista Croatian Radiotelevision Archived from the original on May 10 2000 Retrieved March 7 2021 Hitparada radia 2000 in Czech IFPI Archived from the original on June 13 2000 Retrieved July 21 2020 See Nejvys column a b Top National Sellers PDF Music amp Media Vol 17 no 13 March 25 2000 p 13 Retrieved April 16 2020 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 17 no 12 March 18 2000 p 11 Retrieved July 21 2020 Madonna American Pie in Finnish Musiikkituottajat Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie in French Les classement single Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie in German GfK Entertainment charts Retrieved December 20 2016 Top National Sellers PDF Music amp Media Vol 17 no 14 April 1 2000 p 13 Retrieved May 8 2018 Islenski Listinn Topp 40 Vikuna 30 3 6 4 2000 Dagbladid Visir in Icelandic March 31 2000 p 12 Retrieved July 5 2018 The Irish Charts Search Results American Pie Irish Singles Chart Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie Top Digital Download Retrieved December 20 2016 Nederlandse Top 40 Madonna in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie Top 40 Singles Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie VG lista Retrieved December 20 2016 Los Discos Mas Vendicos En Iberoamerica y Estados Unidos El Siglo de Torreon in Spanish May 29 2000 Archived from the original on March 21 2023 Retrieved March 24 2023 a b Romanian Top 100 Top of the Year 2000 in Romanian Romanian Top 100 Archived from the original on January 22 2005 Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved June 12 2015 Madonna American Pie Canciones Top 50 Retrieved September 17 2019 Madonna American Pie Singles Top 100 Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna American Pie Swiss Singles Chart Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna Artist Chart History Official Charts Company Retrieved March 1 2021 Madonna Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna Chart History Adult Pop Songs Billboard Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna Chart History Dance Club Songs Billboard Retrieved December 20 2016 Madonna Chart History Pop Songs Billboard Retrieved December 20 2016 ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000 ARIA Retrieved March 1 2021 Jahreshitparade Singles 2000 in German Retrieved July 21 2020 Jaaroverzichten 2000 Ultratop in Dutch Retrieved December 29 2011 Rapports annuels 2000 Ultratop in French Retrieved December 29 2011 Ars Hitlister 2000 IFPI Danmark Singles top 50 in Danish IFPI Danmark 2000 Archived from the original on November 16 2001 Retrieved April 8 2021 via Musik org Year in Focus Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000 PDF Music amp Media Vol 17 no 52 December 23 2000 p 9 Retrieved February 8 2020 Tops de L annee Top Singles 2000 in French SNEP Retrieved July 21 2020 Top 100 Single Jahrescharts 2000 in German GfK Entertainment Retrieved December 5 2015 Islenski Listinn Topp 100 Dagbladid Visir in Icelandic January 5 2001 p 10 Retrieved February 8 2020 Top 100 of 2000 Raidio Teilifis Eireann Archived from the original on June 2 2004 Retrieved March 16 2022 Top 100 Jaaroverzicht van 2000 Dutch Top 40 Retrieved January 21 2020 Jaaroverzichten Single 2000 in Dutch Retrieved January 24 2012 Topp 20 Single Var 2000 in Norwegian VG lista Archived from the original on September 28 2017 Retrieved May 14 2021 Sociedad General de Autores y Editores SGAE 2001 Anuario 2000 CD Singles Mas Vendidos en 2000 Anuarios SGAE in Spanish 228 Retrieved February 21 2021 Arslista Singlar 2000 in Swedish Sverigetopplistan Retrieved July 21 2020 Swiss Year End Charts 2000 in German Retrieved December 29 2011 Yearly Best Selling Singles PDF British Phonographic Industry Archived from the original PDF on September 24 2010 Retrieved July 21 2020 The Year in Music 2000 Hot Dance Club Play Singles PDF Billboard December 30 2000 p YE 59 Retrieved June 2 2021 a b Airplay Monitor The Best of 2000 PDF Billboard December 22 2000 pp 48 54 Retrieved May 29 2021 Canada s Top 200 Singles of 2001 Jam Archived from the original on January 26 2003 Retrieved March 26 2022 Canada s Top 200 Singles of 2002 Part 2 Jam January 14 2003 Archived from the original on September 6 2004 ARIA Charts Accreditations 2000 Singles PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved July 12 2016 Austrian single certifications Madonna American Pie in German IFPI Austria Retrieved July 12 2016 Ultratop Goud en Platina singles 2000 Ultratop Hung Medien Retrieved May 22 2019 Hitlist 2000 Hitlisten IFPI Denmark Archived from the original on December 20 2002 Retrieved January 1 2021 French single certifications Madonna American Pie in French Syndicat National de l Edition Phonographique Retrieved August 19 2022 Gold Platin Datenbank Madonna American Pie in German Bundesverband Musikindustrie Retrieved January 13 2021 Dondoni Luca July 27 2000 Madonna si lancia nello spazio La Stampa in Italian 203 25 Retrieved February 22 2021 American Pie che come singolo presente nella colonna sonora del film The next big thing solo nel nostro paese ha venduto ben 70 mila copie La mejor musica de la pantalla La Voz de Asturias in Spanish March 14 2000 p 75 Retrieved December 29 2021 via Biblioteca Nacional de Espana En Espana ha vendido 35 000 copias en dos semanas a pesar de que la cinta aun no se ha estrenado Guld och Platinacertifikat Ar 2000 PDF in Swedish IFPI Sweden Archived from the original PDF on May 17 2011 Retrieved July 12 2016 The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community Awards Madonna American Pie IFPI Switzerland Hung Medien Retrieved July 12 2016 British single certifications Madonna American Pie British Phonographic Industry Retrieved July 21 2020 Further reading EditAdams Cecil May 15 1993 What is Don McLean s song American Pie all about The Straight Dope Chicago Reader Inc Retrieved June 8 2009 An interpretation of the lyrics based on a supposed interview of McLean by DJ Casey Kasem McLean later confirmed the Buddy Holly reference in a letter to Adams but denied ever speaking to Kasem Roteman Jeff August 10 2002 Bob Dearborn s Original Analysis of Don McLean s 1971 Classic American Pie This article correlates McLean s biography with the historic events in the song McLean pointed to WCFL Chicago Illinois radio disc jockey Bob Dearborn as the partial basis for most mainstream interpretations of American Pie Dearborn s analysis mailed to listeners on request bears the date January 7 1972 Roteman s reprinting added photos but replaced the date January 7 1972 by an audio link bearing the date February 28 1972 the date Dearborn aired his interpretation on WCFL http user pa net ejjeff bobpie ram Bob Dearborn s American Pie Analysis original broadcast February 28 1972 The WCFL Radio Tribute Page Archived from the original on October 26 2018 Retrieved October 25 2018 Among the potpourri is a copy of the January 7 1972 Bob Dearborn letter plus an audio recording in which he delineates his interpretation of American Pie Fann Jim Understanding American Pie Archived from the original on September 6 2003 Historically oriented interpretation of American Pie The interpretation was specifically noted on in an archived version of McLean s website page on American Pie archived version of McLean s website page on American Pie The material dated November 2002 includes a recording of Dinah Shore singing See The USA In Your Chevrolet and a photograph of Mick Jagger in costume at the Altamont Free Concert with a Hells Angel member in the background Full See the USA in Your Chevrolet lyrics for Dinah Shore on The Dinah Shore Chevy Show 1956 1961 Kulawiec Rich August 26 2001 FAQ The Annotated American Pie Archived from the original on April 19 2003 Retrieved September 19 2007 FAQ maintained by Rich Kulawiec started in 1992 and essentially completed in 1997 American Pie A Rock Epic A multi media presentation of Rich Kulawiec s The Annotated American Pie Levitt Saul May 26 1971 Interpretation of American Pie analysis news Don McLean Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens Rock amp Roll Missamericanpie co uk Retrieved May 20 2010 Schuck Raymond I Schuck Ray 2012 Do You Believe in Rock and Roll Essays on Don McLean s American Pie McFarland amp Company ISBN 978 0 7864 7105 8 Retrieved September 3 2021 Lyric interpretations and analysisMany people have analyzed the lyrics since the song was released Examples of these include Musicoholics Decoding the Ambiguous Lyrics of Don McLean s American Pie American Pie The analysis and interpretation of Don McLean s song lyrics Songfacts American Pie Flashbak The Day the Music Died A Closer Look at the Lyrics of American Pie An Explanation of the Song American PieExternal links EditThe Official Website of Don McLean and American Pie provides the songwriter s own biography lyrics and clues to the song s meaning Don McLean American Pie Part 1 on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title American Pie song amp oldid 1146272218, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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