American Pie Lyrics And Those Dry Levees

Those mysterious American Pie lyrics are still a topic of conversation 40 years after Don McLean first released “American Pie.” American Pie has truly become a piece of the Americana experience, and is often voted as one of the top 10 contemporary songs ever written. This folk-rock song was first released in 1971 and was a solid #1 for four weeks. A release of the song in 1991 made McLean’s deeply personal song jump to #2 in the U.K. It has been listed as the #5 song on the RIAA project “Songs of the Century” and is the most successful song of Don McLean’s career.

Perhaps American Pie lyrics are famous because they are cryptic, and to this day McLean refuses to divulge the absolute truth of what the verses mean. For many years, individuals have tried to study the song and interpret the various symbols, characters and cloaked references, hoping to gain some great insight into American culture. Yes, it’s very likely McLean wrote his lyrics with 1960s American culture in mind, since the song title is overtly named American Pie—as in a slice of the U.S. zeitgeist.

Other artists have declared that American Pie, regardless of its complex symbolism, is about the “loss” that America as a nation feels. The 1960s were a very tumultuous time, and not just in the world scene, but in the music industry. Singers came and went, some died and some sold out in a way that fans can never forgive.

McLean has also admitted that the song is deeply personal to him, as it alludes to his own coming of age story, particularly the day he read in the paper about Buddy Holly’s death. In fact, McLean dedicated the “American Pie” album to Buddy Holly, so it’s safe to assume the “day the music died” and “February made me shiver, With every paper I'd deliver,” are a direct references to McLean’s discovering the sad news. However, McLean refuses to go beyond that in explaining his song—and probably for good reason, considering that many of the character references could theoretically still be alive. (Many fans and music critics believe a large portion of the song is critical about the negative influences of certain 1950s and 1960s singers)

McLean has a great sense of humor about the world’s quizzical rumblings, and when asked “What American Pie means?” simply replies, “It means I never have to work again.” McLean has seriously addressed his fans’ requests to explain the song before but always evades definite explanations. “You will find many interpretations of my [American Pie] lyrics but none of them by me. I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence.” No need for you to keep silent…download the song and judge for yourself!

By: Jayme Jones

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Lyrics are available for all of your favorite songs, including American Pie lyrics by Don McLean.