American Pie (song)

"American Pie" is a song by American singer and songwriterDon McLean. Recorded and released in 1971 on thealbum of the same name, the single was the number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 starting January 15after just eight weeks on the USBillboardcharts (where it entered at number 69).The song also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the UK, the single reached number 2, where it stayed for three weeks on its original 1971 release, and a reissue in 1991 reached No. 12. The song was listed as the No. 5 song on theRIAAprojectSongs of the Century. A truncated version of the song was covered byMadonnain 2000 and reached No. 1 in at least 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. At 8 minutes and 42 seconds, McLean's combined version is the sixth longest song to enter theBillboardHot 100 (at the time of release it was the longest). The song also held the record for almost 50 years for being the longest song to reach number onebeforeTaylor Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" broke the record in 2021.Due to its exceptional length, it was initially released as a two-sided7-inch single."American Pie" has been described as "one of the most successful and debated songs of the 20th century".
The repeated phrase "the day the music died" refers to a plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll starsBuddy Holly,The Big Bopper, andRitchie Valens, ending the era ofearly rock and roll; this became the popular nickname for that crash. The theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean's childhood music heroes, reflecting the deep cultural changes and profound disillusion and loss of innocence of his generation– the early rock and roll generation – that took place between the 1959 plane crash and eitherlate 1969orlate 1970.The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period, has been debated for decades. McLean repeatedly declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned; he eventually released his songwriting notes to accompany the original manuscript when it was sold in 2015, explaining many of these. McLean further elaborated on the lyrical meaning in a 2022 documentary celebrating the song's 50th anniversary, in which he stated the song was driven byimpressionism, and debunked some of the more widely speculated symbols.
In 2017, McLean's original recording was selected for preservation in theNational Recording Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".To mark the 50th anniversary of the song, McLean performed a 35-date tour through Europe, starting in Wales and ending in Austria, in 2022.
Don McLean drew inspiration for the song from his childhood experience delivering newspapers during the time ofthe plane crashthat killed earlyrock and rollmusiciansBuddy Holly,Ritchie Valens, andThe Big Bopper:
McLean reportedly wrote "American Pie" inSaratoga Springs, New York, at Caffè Lena, but a 2011New York Timesarticle quotes McLean as disputing this claim.Some employees at Caffè Lena claim that he started writing the song there, and then continued to write the song in bothCold Spring, New York,andPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.McLean claims that the song was only written in Cold Spring and Philadelphia.Tin & Lint, a bar on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs, claims the song was written there, and a plaque marks the table. While a 2022 documentary on the history of the song claimsSaint Joseph's Universityas where the song was first performed,McLean insists that the song made its debut in Philadelphia atTemple Universitywhen he opened forLaura Nyroon March 14, 1971.
The song was produced by Ed Freeman and recorded with a few session musicians. Freeman did not want McLean to play rhythm guitar on the song but eventually relented. McLean and the session musicians rehearsed for two weeks but failed to get the song right. At the last minute, the pianistPaul Griffinwas added, which is when the tune came together.McLean used a 1969 or 1970Martin D-28guitar to provide the basic chords throughout "American Pie".
The song debuted in the albumAmerican Piein October 1971 and was released as a single in November. The song's eight-and-a-half-minute length meant that it could not fit entirely on one side of the45 RPM record, so United Artists had the first4:11taking up the A-side of the record and the final4:31the B-side. Radio stations initially played the A-side of the song only, but soon switched to the full album version to satisfy their audiences.
Upon the single release,Cash Boxcalled it "folk-rock's most ambitious and successful epic endeavor since 'Alice's Restaurant.'"Record Worldcalled it a "monumental accomplishment of lyric writing".
The song has nostalgic themes,stretching from the late 1950s until late 1969 or 1970. Except to acknowledge that he first learned aboutBuddy Holly's death on February 3, 1959 – McLean was age 13 – when he was folding newspapers for his paper route on the morning of February 4, 1959 (hence the line "February made me shiver/with every paper I'd deliver"), McLean has generally avoided responding to direct questions about the song's lyrics; he has said: "They're beyond analysis. They're poetry."He also stated in an editorial published in 2009, on the 50th anniversary of thecrashthat killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (all of whom are alluded to in the final verse in a comparison with the ChristianHoly Trinity), that writing the first verse of the song exorcised his long-running grief over Holly's death and that he considers the song to be "a big song... that summed up the world known as America".McLean dedicated theAmerican Piealbum to Holly.
Some commentators have identified the song as outlining the darkening of cultural mood, as over time the cultural vanguard passed fromPete SeegerandJoan Baez(the "King and Queen" of folk music), then fromElvis Presley(known as "the King" of Rock and Roll), toBob Dylan("the Jester" – who wore a jacket similar to that worn bycultural iconJames Dean, was known as "the voice of his generation" ("a voice that came from you and me"),and whosemotorcycle accident("in a cast") left him in reclusion for many years, recording in studios rather than touring ("on the sidelines")), toThe Beatles(John Lennon, punned withVladimir Lenin, and "the Quartet" – although McLean has stated the Quartet is a reference to other people), toThe Byrds(who wrote one of the firstpsychedelic rocksongs, "Eight Miles High", and then "fell fast" – the song was banned, band memberGene Clarkenteredrehabilitation, known colloquially as a "fallout shelter", and shortly after, the group declined as it lost members, changed genres, and alienated fans), toThe Rolling Stones(who releasedTheir Satanic Majesties Requestand the singles "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Sympathy for the Devil" ("Jack Flash", "Satan", "The Devil"), and usedHells Angels– "Angels born in Hell" – asAltamontevent security, withfatal consequences, bringing the 1960s to a violent end), and toJanis Joplin(the "girl who sang the blues" but just "turned away" – she died of aheroin overdosethe following year).
It has also been speculated that the song contains numerous references to post-World War IIAmerican political events, such as theassassination of John F. Kennedy(known casually as "Jack"), First LadyJacqueline Kennedy("his widowed bride"),and subsequent killing ofhis assassin(whose courtroom trial obviously ended as a result ["adjourned"]),theCuban Missile Crisis("Jack be nimble, Jack be quick"),themurders of civil rights workersJames Chaney,Andrew Goodman, andMichael Schwerner,and elements of culture such assock hops("kicking off shoes" to dance, preventing damage to the varnished floor),cruisingwith apickup truck,the rise of the political protest song ("a voice that came from you and me"),drugs and the counterculture, theManson Familyand theTate–LaBianca murdersin the "summer swelter" of 1969 (the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter") and much more.
Apparent allusions to  notable 50s songs includeDon Cornell'sThe Bible Tells Me So("If the Bible tells you so?"),Marty Robbins'A White Sport Coat, the lonely teenager ("With a pink carnation") mirroring Robbins' narrator who is rejected in favor of another man for the prom, andThe Monotones'The Book of Love("Did you write the book of love").
Many additional and alternative interpretations have also been proposed.
For example, Bob Dylan's first performance in Great Britain was also at a pub called "The King and Queen", and he also appeared more literally "on the sidelines in a (the) cast" – as one of many starsat the back far right of the cover artof the Beatles' albumSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band("the Sergeants played a marching tune").
The song title itself is a reference toapple pie, an unofficialsymbol of the United Statesand one of its signaturecomfort foods,as seen in the popular expression"As American as apple pie".By the twentieth century, this had become a symbol of American prosperity and national pride.
The originalUnited Artists Recordsinner sleeve featured afree versepoem written by McLean aboutWilliam Boyd, also known asHopalong Cassidy, along with a picture of Boyd in full Hopalong regalia. Its inclusion in the album was interpreted to represent a sense of loss of a simplistic type of American culture as symbolized by Hopalong Cassidy and by extensionblack and white televisionas a whole.
Mike MillsofR.E.M.reflected: "'American Pie' just made perfect sense to me as a song and that's what impressed me the most. I could say to people this is how to write songs. When you've written at least three songs that can be considered classic that is a very high batting average and if one of those songs happens to be something that a great many people think is one of the greatest songs ever written you've not only hit the top of the mountain but you've stayed high on the mountain for a long time."
When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean jokingly replied, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to."Later, he stated, "You will find many interpretations of my lyrics but none of them by me...  Sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence."He also commented on the popularity of his music, "I didn't write songs that were just catchy, but with a point of view, or songs about the environment."
In February 2015, however, McLean announced he would reveal the meaning of the lyrics to the song when the original manuscript went for auction in New York City, in April 2015.The lyrics and notes were auctioned on April 7, 2015, and sold for $1.2 million.In the sale catalogue notes, McLean revealed the meaning in the song's lyrics: "Basically in 'American Pie' things are heading in the wrong direction.  It [life] is becoming less idyllic. I don't know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense."The catalogue confirmed that the song climaxes with a description of thekilling of Meredith Hunterat theAltamont Free Concert, ten years after the plane crash that killed Holly, Valens, and Richardson, and did acknowledge that some of the more well-known symbols in the song were inspired by figures such asElvis Presley("the king") andBob Dylan("the jester").
In 2017, Bob Dylan was asked about how he was referenced in the song. "A jester? Sure, the jester writes songs like 'Masters of War', 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall', 'It's Alright, Ma' – some jester. I have to think he's talking about somebody else. Ask him."
In 2022, the documentaryThe Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie, produced by Spencer Proffer, was released on theParamount+video on-demand service. Proffer said that he told McLean: "It's time for you to reveal what 50 years of journalists have wanted to know." McLean stated that he "needed a big song about America", and the first verse and melody ("A long, long time ago...") seemed to just come to mind.
McLean also answered some of the long-standing questions on the song's lyrics, although not all. He revealed that Presley was not the king referenced in the song, Joplin was not the "girl who sang the blues", and Dylan was not the jester, although he is open to other interpretations.He explained that the "marching band" refers to themilitary–industrial complex, "sweet perfume" refers to tear gas, and Los Angeles is the "coast" that the Trinity head to ("caught the last train for the coast"), commenting "even God has been corrupted". He also said that the line "This'll be the day that I die" originated from theJohn WaynefilmThe Searchers(which inspired Buddy Holly's song "That'll Be the Day"), and the chorus's line "Bye-bye, Miss American Pie" was inspired by a song byPete Seeger, "Bye Bye, My Roseanna". McLean had originally intended to use "Miss American apple pie", but "apple" was dropped.
On the whole, McLean stated that the lyrics were meant to beimpressionist, and that many of the lyrics, only a portion of which were included in the finished recording, were completely fictional with no basis in real-life events.
Credits from Richard Buskin, except where noted.
The final chorus features multi-tracked backing vocals, credited in the album's sleeve notes to the "West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm and Noise Choir". Although the individual choristers have never been publicly named, producer Ed Freeman has claimed that the choir includedPete Seeger,James Taylor,Livingston TaylorandCarly Simon.
In 1999,"Weird Al" Yankovicwrote and recorded a parody of "American Pie". Titled "The Saga Begins", the song recounts the plot ofStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom MenacefromObi-Wan Kenobi's point of view. While McLean gave permission for the parody, he did not make a cameo appearance in its video, despite popular rumor. McLean himself praised the parody, even admitting to almost singing Yankovic's lyrics during his own live performances because his children played the song so often.An unrelatedcomedy film franchisebyUniversal Pictures, who secured the rights to McLean's title, also debuted in 1999.
"American Pie" was the last song to be played on Virgin Radio before it was rebranded asAbsolute Radioin 2008.It was also the last song played onBFBS Maltain 1979.
Jeremy Rennersings ana cappellaversion in the 2006 movieLove Comes to the Executioner, as his character walks to the execution chamber.
In 2012, theCity of Grand Rapids, Michigan, created alip dubvideo to "American Pie" in response to aNewsweekarticle that stated the city was "dying".(Due to licensing issues, the version used in the video was not the original, but rather a later-recorded live version.) The video was hailed as a fantastic performance by many, including film criticRoger Ebert, who said it was "the greatest music video ever made".
On March 21, 2013,Harmonixannounced that "American Pie" would be the finaldownloadabletrack made available for theRock Bandseries of music video games.This was the case untilRock Band 4was released on October 6, 2015, reviving the series' weekly releases of DLC.
On March 14, 2015, theNational Museum of Mathematicsannounced that one of two winners of its songwriting contest was "American Pi" by mathematics education professor Dr. Lawrence M. Lesser.The contest was in honor of "Pi Day of the Century" because "3/14/15" would be the only day in the 21st-century showing the first five digits ofπ(pi).
On April 20, 2015,John Mayercovered "American Pie" live on theLate Show with David Letterman, at the request of the show'seponymous host.
On January 29, 2021, McLean released a re-recording of "American Pie" featuring lead vocals by country a cappella groupHome Free.
The song was featured inMarvel'sBlack Widowmovie in 2021.It is the favorite song of the characterYelena Belova, and sung byRed Guardianlater in the film to comfort her.
"American Pie" is also featured in the 2021 Tom Hanks movieFinch.
During his visit to the United States in 2023, South Korean PresidentYoon Suk-yeolsang this song at astate dinner.This has attracted worldwide attention, as well as the attention of Don McLean.
American singerMadonnarecorded a cover version of "American Pie" for the soundtrack of her filmThe Next Best Thing(2000). Her cover is much shorter than the original, containing only the beginning of the first verse and all of the second and sixth verses. Reworked as adance-poptrack, it was produced by Madonna andWilliam Orbit. It was recorded in September 1999 in New York City, afterRupert Everett, Madonna's co-star inThe Next Best Thing, convinced her to cover the song for the film's soundtrack.Madonna said of her choice to cover the song: "To me, it's a real millennium song. We're going through a big change in terms of the way we view pop culture, because of the Internet. In a way, it's like saying goodbye to music as we knew it—and to pop culture as we knew it.""American Pie" was released as thelead singlefromThe Next Best Thingon February 8, 2000, byMaverick RecordsandWarner Bros. Records.
"American Pie" was later included as an international bonus track on her eighth studio album,Music(2000). However, it was not included on her greatest hits compilationGHV2(2001), as Madonna had regretted putting it onMusic, elaborating: "It was something a certain record company executive twisted my arm into doing, but it didn't belong on the album so now it's being punished... My gut told me not to [put the song onMusic], but I did it and then I regretted it so just for that reason it didn't deserve a place onGHV2".A remix of the song was featured on her remix compilation albumFinally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones(2022).
"American Pie" was an international hit, reaching number one in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Iceland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Finland. The song was the 19th-best-selling single of 2000 in the UK and the ninth best-selling single of 2000 in Sweden. The single was not released commercially in the United States, but it reached number 29 on theBillboardHot 100due to strong radio airplay.
Chuck Taylor ofBillboardwas impressed by the recording and commented, "Applause to Madonna for not pandering to today's temporary trends and for challenging programmers to broaden their playlists. ... In all, a fine preview of the forthcoming soundtrack toThe Next Best Thing."Peter RobinsonofThe Guardiancalled the cover as "brilliant".Don McLean himself praised the cover, saying it was "a gift from a goddess", and that her version is "mystical and sensual".NME, on the other hand, gave it a negative review, saying that "Killdozerdid it first and did it better", that it was "sub-karaoke fluff" and that "it's a blessing she didn't bother recording the whole thing."
In 2017, theOfficial Charts Companystated the song had sold 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom and was her 16th best selling single to date in the nation.
The music video, filmed in the southern United States and in London,and directed byPhilipp Stölzl, depicts a diverse array of ordinary Americans, including scenes showing same-sex couples kissing. Throughout the music video Madonna, who is wearing a tiara on her head, dances and sings in front of a large American flag.
Two versions of the video were produced, the first of which was released as the official video worldwide, and later appeared on Madonna'sCelebration: The Video Collection(2009). The second version used the "Humpty Remix", a more upbeat and dance-friendly version of the song. The latter aired onMTVin the US to promoteThe Next Best Thing; it features different footage and new outtakes of the original while omitting the lesbian kiss. Everett, who provides backing vocals in the song, is also featured in the video.
Credits are adapted from the liner notes for "American Pie".