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American Pie Lyrics

by Don McLean

About This Song

American Pie” is a song by Don McLean. This page features time-synced lyrics that highlight each line as the song plays — press play to sing along in real time. The lyrics contain 131 lines.

American PieDon McLean
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American Pie (Live/1971) - Don McLean

Written by:Don McLean

A long long time ago

♪ ♪ ♪

I can still remember

♪ ♪ ♪

How that music used to make me smile

♪ ♪ ♪

And I knew if I had my chance

♪ ♪ ♪

That I could make those people dance

And maybe they'd be happy for a while

♪ ♪ ♪

But February made me shiver

♪ ♪ ♪

With every paper I'd deliver

♪ ♪ ♪

Bad news on the doorstep

♪ ♪ ♪

I couldn't take one more step

♪ ♪ ♪

I can't remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

♪ ♪ ♪

But something touched me deep inside

♪ ♪ ♪

The day the music died

♪ ♪ ♪

So bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

♪ ♪ ♪

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

♪ ♪ ♪

Singing this'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

This'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

Did you write the book of love

And do you have faith in god above

♪ ♪ ♪

If the Bible tells you so

♪ ♪ ♪

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 that 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 and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

♪ ♪ ♪

But I knew I was out of luck

The day the music died

♪ ♪ ♪

I started singing

Bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singing this'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

This'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

Now for ten years we've been on our own

And moss grows fat on a rolling stone

But that's not how it used to be

♪ ♪ ♪

When the jester sang for the king and queen

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

And a voice that came from you and me

♪ ♪ ♪

Oh and while the king was looking down

The jester stole his thorny crown

The courtroom was adjourned

♪ ♪ ♪

No verdict was returned

And while Lennon read a book on Marx

The quartet practiced in the park

♪ ♪ ♪

And we sang dirges in the dark

The day the music died

♪ ♪ ♪

We were singing

Bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singing this'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

This'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

Helter skelter in a summer swelter

The birds flew off with a fallout shelter

♪ ♪ ♪

Eight miles high and falling fast

♪ ♪ ♪

It landed foul on the grass

The players tried for a forward pass

With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

♪ ♪ ♪

Now the half time air was sweet perfume

While the sergeants played a marching tune

♪ ♪ ♪

We all got up to dance

♪ ♪ ♪

Oh but we never got the chance

♪ ♪ ♪

Cause the players tried to take the field

♪ ♪ ♪

The marching band refused to yield

♪ ♪ ♪

Do you recall what was revealed

The day the music died

♪ ♪ ♪

We started singing

Bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

♪ ♪ ♪

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singing this'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

This'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

Oh and there we were all in one place

♪ ♪ ♪

A generation lost in space

With no time left to start again

♪ ♪ ♪

So come on Jack be nimble Jack be quick

♪ ♪ ♪

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick

Cause fire is the devil's only friend

♪ ♪ ♪

Oh and as I watched him on the stage

My hands were clenched in fists of rage

♪ ♪ ♪

No angel born in hell

♪ ♪ ♪

Could break that Satan's spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night

♪ ♪ ♪

To light the sacrificial rite

I saw Satan laughing with delight

♪ ♪ ♪

The day the music died

♪ ♪ ♪

We were singing

Bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singing this'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

This'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

I met a girl who sang the blues

♪ ♪ ♪

And I asked her for some happy news

♪ ♪ ♪

But she just smiled and turned away

♪ ♪ ♪

I went down to the sacred store

Where I'd heard the music years before

♪ ♪ ♪

But the man there said the music wouldn't play

♪ ♪ ♪

And in the streets the children screamed

♪ ♪ ♪

The lovers cried and the poets dreamed

♪ ♪ ♪

But not a word was spoken

♪ ♪ ♪

The church bells all were broken

♪ ♪ ♪

And the three men I admire most

♪ ♪ ♪

The father son and the holy ghost

♪ ♪ ♪

They caught the last train for the coast

♪ ♪ ♪

The day the music died

♪ ♪ ♪

And they were singing

♪ ♪ ♪

Bye bye Miss American Pie

♪ ♪ ♪

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

♪ ♪ ♪

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

♪ ♪ ♪

Singing this'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

This'll be the day that I die

♪ ♪ ♪

They were singing

♪ ♪ ♪

Bye bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

♪ ♪ ♪

Them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singing this'll be the day that I die

American PieDon McLeanReady
Full Lyrics
[ti:American Pie] [ar:Don McLean] [al:The Best Of Don McLean] [by:] [offset:0] American Pie (Live/1971) - Don McLean Written by:Don McLean A long long time ago I can still remember How that music used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while But February made me shiver With every paper I'd deliver Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride But something touched me deep inside The day the music died So bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Did you write the book of love And do you have faith in god above If the Bible tells you so 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 that 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 and blues I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck But I knew I was out of luck The day the music died I started singing Bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Now for ten years we've been on our own And moss grows fat on a rolling stone But that's not how it used to be When the jester sang for the king and queen In a coat he borrowed from James Dean And a voice that came from you and me Oh and while the king was looking down The jester stole his thorny crown The courtroom was adjourned No verdict was returned And while Lennon read a book on Marx The quartet practiced in the park And we sang dirges in the dark The day the music died We were singing Bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Helter skelter in a summer swelter The birds flew off with a fallout shelter Eight miles high and falling fast It landed foul on the grass The players tried for a forward pass With the jester on the sidelines in a cast Now the half time air was sweet perfume While the sergeants played a marching tune We all got up to dance Oh but we never got the chance Cause the players tried to take the field The marching band refused to yield Do you recall what was revealed The day the music died We started singing Bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Oh and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space With no time left to start again So come on Jack be nimble Jack be quick Jack Flash sat on a candlestick Cause fire is the devil's only friend Oh and as I watched him on the stage My hands were clenched in fists of rage No angel born in hell Could break that Satan's spell And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite I saw Satan laughing with delight The day the music died We were singing Bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away I went down to the sacred store Where I'd heard the music years before But the man there said the music wouldn't play And in the streets the children screamed The lovers cried and the poets dreamed But not a word was spoken The church bells all were broken And the three men I admire most The father son and the holy ghost They caught the last train for the coast The day the music died And they were singing Bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry And them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die They were singing Bye bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye Singing this'll be the day that I die
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