American Pie
Jessica Pribnow
Chorus
"Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"
Verse
"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 'n roll?
Can music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well I know you're in love with him 'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm 'n' blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew that I was out of luck The day the music died I started singing... "
Historical References!
"Did you write the book of love, "
"The Book of Love" by the Monotones was a hit in 1958.
"Now do you believe in rock 'n roll? "
It came from the song "Do you Believe in Magic?"
"Well I know you're in love with him 'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym "
Dancing used to be described as an expression of love.
"Bye Bye Miss American Pie"
America was saying goodbye to the times where they would idolize icons.
"Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry"
The American automobile was the Chevy.
"Singin this'll be the day that I die, This'll be the day that I die."
The song comes from Buddy Holly's "That'll be the day," that eventually says "that I die."
"You both kicked off your shoes"
This was a reference to the "sock hop". The sock hop came about because dancers were required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor of the gym.
"I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck"
Marty Robbins in 1957 had a hit "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)" The pickup truck was a symbol of sexual independence and potency.
"But I knew that I was out of luck The day the music died I started singing... "
The crash took the lives of three rock legends: Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper, so now Feb. 3, 1959 is called "The day the music died." .