Song: American Pie....anyone here know the meaning?

Site Notices

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Song: American Pie....anyone here know the meaning?

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:08:40 PM EDT

I've had the lyrics memorized for years, but am unable to come up with any conclusions and have yet to hear of a real diffinitive answer to this question....What say you?

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:10:10 PM EDT

[#1]

Like what? It was written as a tip of the hat to Buddy Holly & Janice Joplin. Why not simply enjoy the song & leave the hidden meaning stuff to the tin foil hat crowd?????

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:11:17 PM EDT

[#2]

When the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and others went down in a plane crash.

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:11:35 PM EDT

[#3]

www.faqs.org/faqs/music/american-pie/

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:12:59 PM EDT

[#4]

It's a history lesson.

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:14:32 PM EDT

[#5]

It's about how Billie Joe jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:18:29 PM EDT

[#6]

Who F-ing cares...that song BLOWS.

I can't turn the dial (showing my age there with the dial comment!) fast enuf when that stinker comes on. Never understood the adoration it garners.....

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:20:59 PM EDT

[#7]

There were not enough seats on the plane for all the musicians, so they tossed a coin to see who would get left behind.

Waylon Jennings lost the coin toss and did not get on the plane.

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:24:09 PM EDT

[#8]

It was based on the tragic crash that killed one of the great musicians.

C'mon, "drove the chevy to the levy"? Don't you see it?

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:26:45 PM EDT

[#9]

I loved that episode of the Young Ones where Buddy Holly was stuck in their attic and had been living there hanging upside down from his parachute living off of daddy long legs. That Was Awesome!

BTW Bob Dylan was the jester! Actualy he was more of a song and dance man (...from Don't look back)

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:29:48 PM EDT

[#10]

Looks like the name of the airplane that Buddy Holly died in on Feb 3, 1959. See towards the bottom of the link above.

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:30:37 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Who F-ing cares...that song BLOWS. I can't turn the dial (showing my age there with the dial comment!) fast enuf when that stinker comes on. Never understood the adoration it garners.....

Amen to that brother.

that song is right up there with "Stairway to Heaven" and anything that Peter Frampton did.

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:39:43 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
It was based on the tragic crash that killed one of the great musicians.

img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-3/963911/lisa2.jpg

C'mon, "drove the chevy to the levy"? Don't you see it?

I thought it was about the plane crash that killed Aaliyah

Posted: 3/21/2006 5:49:35 PM EDT

[#13]

Don McLean has made some serious dough off that song- or maybe something he invested in from that song.

Some locals I've spoken with have pointed out a huge beautiful house on a lake in Maine near where I have a much more meagher crap box of a place. The place looks like a sea captains home, and is on a huge forested hill all by itself.

Posted: 3/21/2006 6:15:45 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Who F-ing cares...that song BLOWS. I can't turn the dial (showing my age there with the dial comment!) fast enuf when that stinker comes on. Never understood the adoration it garners.....

Thank you.

That song is a tragedy to all that is Holy

Posted: 3/21/2006 6:23:58 PM EDT

[#15]

It's about the crash of Billy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. The day their plane crashed, it was "the Day the Music Died". The song's about him lamenting how he didn't like the pop music afterwards, ESPECIALLY the Rolling Stones and how their Hells Angels security killed people at Altamont as the Stones played on.

Posted: 3/21/2006 6:39:50 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Looks like the name of the airplane that Buddy Holly died in on Feb 3, 1959. See towards the bottom of the link above.

Nope. Urban Legend.

One interesting fact that is true is that J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson talked one of Holly's fellow band members into giving up his seat on the plane so Richardson would have time to see a doctor before the show. The band member's name was Waylon Jennings.

Posted: 3/21/2006 6:41:56 PM EDT

[#17]

death of rock and roll

Posted: 3/21/2006 6:47:14 PM EDT

[#18]

google it and you get multiple meanings

Posted: 3/21/2006 6:50:53 PM EDT

[#19]

The "American Pie" was the name of the plane that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the "Big Bopper" were killed in in 1959. The "Day the music died" referrs to the night of that plane crash.

Oh and Raven is also right.

Posted: 3/21/2006 7:06:48 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
It was based on the tragic crash that killed one of the great musicians.

img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-3/963911/lisa2.jpg

C'mon, "drove the chevy to the levy"? Don't you see it?

Posted: 3/21/2006 7:16:57 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
It's about the crash of Billy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. The day their plane crashed, it was "the Day the Music Died". The song's about him lamenting how he didn't like the pop music afterwards, ESPECIALLY the Rolling Stones and how their Hells Angels security killed people at Altamont as the Stones played on.

Actually, the guy had a gun and the HA's administered a rightous bead down on the dude.

Posted: 3/21/2006 7:53:06 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
It's about how Billie Joe jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

pass the bisquits please

Posted: 3/21/2006 8:11:26 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
The "American Pie" was the name of the plane that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the "Big Bopper" were killed in in 1959. The "Day the music died" referrs to the night of that plane crash.

WRONG.

www.snopes.com/music/artists/amerpie.htm

Planes don't normally get names like boats.

McLean himself has also corrected this bit of trivia falsehood.

Snopes is good reading.

Posted: 3/21/2006 8:12:40 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
The "American Pie" was the name of the plane that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the "Big Bopper" were killed in in 1959. The "Day the music died" referrs to the night of that plane crash.

WRONG.

www.snopes.com/music/artists/amerpie.htm

Planes don't normally get names like boats.

McLean himself has also corrected this bit of trivia falsehood.

Snopes is good reading.

guess my high school history teacher was wrong then.

Posted: 3/21/2006 8:22:27 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The "American Pie" was the name of the plane that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the "Big Bopper" were killed in in 1959. The "Day the music died" referrs to the night of that plane crash.

WRONG.

www.snopes.com/music/artists/amerpie.htm

Planes don't normally get names like boats.

McLean himself has also corrected this bit of trivia falsehood.

Snopes is good reading.

guess my high school history teacher was wrong then.

Most likely. If he was right, he wouldn't be teaching.

I Grock The Fullness of the tune save for two aspects.

Both in the chorus:
"Drove the Chevy to the Levy, but the Levy was dry"
and
"Good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye, sayin 'this will be the day that I die'"

The former was never even touched in the FAQ linked above, and the latter, only obliquely sideswiped.

I figure if the minds of USENET can argue a topic for 15 YEARS and not get the 'full answer", I am positive we can have it nailed in 30 pages and a week.

Posted: 3/21/2006 8:26:08 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
Most likely. If he was right, he wouldn't be teaching.

What's the saying?

"Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach."

Posted: 3/21/2006 8:26:32 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
guess my high school history teacher was wrong then.

High school history teachers are often full of crap.

Posted: 3/21/2006 8:55:38 PM EDT

[#28]

I think he is sad because he isn't getting any more pie. I like pie.

Posted: 3/21/2006 9:27:39 PM EDT

[#29]

I always understood the phrase "American Pie" to refer to the innocent age of rock and roll. It's a reference to the purity and innocence of American rock and roll before........ "The British Invasion." The music of the those that died had an a purity and beauty to it, most of what followed didn't (the British Invasion). YMMV

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Song: American Pie....anyone here know the meaning?

General » General Discussion

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us