McLean's "American Pie"
The Sociological Critique by Kaitlynn Mikulski
Chorus Criticism
" . . . singin' this'll be the day that I die . . . "
McLean is referring to the song by Buddy Holly, That'll Be The Day, the artist that inspired McLean. Buddy Holly died in a plane crash in 1959, and that day was the referred to the "day the music died" by many. Buddy Holly was a huge idol for rock 'n' roll lovers during his time, and McLean is trying to say that many were singing along to That'll Be The Day in his memory.
" . . . bye, bye, Miss American Pie . . . "
The rumor goes to say that Buddy Holly's plane was named American Pie, but there's no proof stating the rumor to be true. However, during this time period, there was a saying that went "as American as apple pie." Also, this was a time where "Miss America" was a huge idol in the United States. McLean could have been referring to one or both of these icons. He's stating that the feeling of pride in the country is fading, and people aren't as happy as they used to be.
" . . . took my Chevy to the levee . . . "
In the chorus, McLean mentions the popular Chevy commercials during the 50s, which mentions driving along a levee.
" . . . and them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye . . . "
It is most commonly mistaken that this line alludes The Dukes of Hazard, but the reference is actually made to traditional Americans who were mourning the loss of their rock 'n' roll idol, Buddy Holly. It was popular during this era to drink when under stress, which is why they are drinking whiskey and rye. However, it doesn't make much sense for McLean to use rye right after whiskey, since rye is just a form of whiskey with a higher maize concentration.
" . . . but the levee was dry . . ."
He's referring that the light atmosphere in the commercial mentioned before is gone, the spirit has all gone away, and the feelings during the time period have "dried up." The excitement and optimism in America has left.
Verse 5 Criticism
" . . . a generation lost in space . . . "
The meaning behind this line is referring to the fact that during this time period, it was common to be using some sort of drugs. It means that they don't know where they are, they're too high to remember. It could also mean that since Buddy Holly, rock 'n' roll music, and the feelings America once experienced is dead, they don't know what to do with themselves. Everything has changed and no one knows what's going on anymore.
" . . . to light a sacrificial rite . . . "
McLean is talking about the sacrifice of the man who was stabbed after approaching the stage with a gun at a Rolling Stones concert. Everyone was angry with the Rolling Stones, accusing them of posing in the rock 'n' roll culture. True rock 'n' roll fans didn't believe that the Rolling Stones were making any good music, so they protested them at the concert. McLean is showing that the innocence of America is now gone.
" . . . I saw Satan laughing with delight . . . "
If we're looking at Mick Jagger to be "Satan" in this situation, then what McLean is referencing is the same concert as before. He saw that Jagger was continuing to dance and sing as the riots went on, after Buddy Holly died. He's saying that Jagger is Satan, trying to take over Holly's spot. He's saying that Jagger is a monster for trying to overrule rock 'n' roll.
" . . . with no time left to start again . . . "
McLean means that it took music a whole decade to get to where it was, and now that the idol and feelings to the music are gone, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Everyone in their generation is too burnt out from all of the drugs, it's too late for them, and there is no hope for the future.
" . . . no angel born in Hell . . . "
This reference is to Hell's Angels because they were the security at the Rolling Stone's concert in Woodstock. This is the same concert where McLean watched the death of true rock 'n' roll, the death of a man who was stabbed, and the last fight from his generation to salvage what they had.
Conclusion
During the work I did in this project, I learned that America changed the day Buddy Holly died. I feel as though the death of the rock 'n' roll idol and his companions was the cause of the downfall America's fun and innocence had. Before, things were great. Everyone was having fun, optimistic of the future, and jammin' to some great tunes. Then the music died out and everything went dark. Things were no longer fun for anyone anymore, and it makes me wonder how different our country would be if rock 'n' roll were still the same. What I enjoyed most about the project, however, was learning about the outrage people had at the Rolling Stones. All around me, I've only ever seen positive vibes toward the Rolling Stones, and to hear the story of their concert at Woodstock surprised me a lot.