🎵 “American Pie” – Don McLean
Release Date: October 1971
Album: American Pie
Genre: Folk rock, rock and roll
Length: 8 minutes 42 seconds (original full version)
Label: United Artists
Writer: Don McLean
🔹 Overview:
“American Pie” is a classic American folk rock song by Don McLean, widely regarded as one of the most iconic songs in American music history. It’s best known for its poetic, allegorical lyrics that reflect major changes in American culture and music during the 1950s and 1960s.
🔹 Meaning:
The song famously begins with the line “A long, long time ago…” and references “the day the music died”, a phrase used to describe the tragic plane crash on February 3, 1959, that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. This event is considered the symbolic end of the early rock and roll era.
Throughout the song, McLean uses metaphors and references to key figures, events, and cultural changes in the United States, particularly in music and politics. It captures a sense of nostalgia and loss for a more innocent time.
🔹 Structure and Style:
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The original song has 8 verses and a chorus that repeats multiple times.
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It combines folk storytelling with rock-and-roll rhythm.
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Its complex lyrics have led to decades of interpretation and analysis.
🔹 Legacy:
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“American Pie” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
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It has been preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural significance.
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In 2015, Don McLean auctioned off his original manuscript of the song’s lyrics for $1.2 million, revealing that the song is primarily about “the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation.”