•
Rating: "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."
[...]
"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."
"American Pie" is a tribute to Buddy Holly and, at the same time, a nostalgic reflection on how, after his death, rock 'n roll progressively lost its original and visceral attitude to make people dance and make them happy (for a comment on the song, alternatively to the site indicated on the side, I recommend visiting http://www.rareexception.com/Garden/Pie.php, which offers a more streamlined analysis).
From this simple realization, a spiral of free thoughts develops, gradually drifting away from the central focal point as if in the grip of a slow but inexorable centrifugal force.
Free association of ideas in short. Stream of consciousness. It is precisely from this perspective that the tons of historical references to events and symbolic figures of rock culture should be viewed, from the legendary James Dean to "The King" Elvis Presley, to John Lennon, the Beatles, the Stones, to the "girl who sang the blues" Janis Joplin.
A sort of "Hall of Fame" of rock, almost as if retracing its key points. Above all, however, "American Pie" is a great song. Musically speaking, the track unfolds along the usual paths of country music: piano, acoustic guitar accompaniment, disciplined and never intrusive rhythm section. Timid electric guitar phrases occasionally peek through the folds of the song: Dylan's lesson was certainly absorbed, but the inhibiting brakes of tradition remain very strong. The singing is at times soft and whispering, at times captivating and frenetic, in line with the progression of the song. The traditional choruses are not missing, presumably achieved with appropriate overdubs of McLean's own voice.
Until now, "Everything is verrry beautiful", as a famous sports commentator would say. The problem is that none of the other tracks can match the opening. And this inevitably lowers the overall rating. Moreover, the clear predominance of the acoustic guitar - voice scheme, the not extraordinarily original melodies, and the preference for subtle and impalpable atmospheres, tend to produce a general flattening of the album's sound, almost brushing against, at certain points, genuine boredom.
Some tracks, however, deserve mention: the dreamy "'Till Tomorrow" and the subsequent "Vincent", very delicate, the lively "Everybody Loves Me, Baby", which, if nothing else, has the merit of recapturing the effervescence of "American Pie", the closing "Babylon", a tiny cameo (1 minute and 40 seconds), accompanied by banjo and solemn choruses.
In brief summary: good album ("American Pie" extraordinary), but there are better in the country genre.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 American Pie (08:36)
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 ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... 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?
Now do you believe in rock and 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 dancin' 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 singin'...
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... 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 Rollin' 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
In 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 singin'...
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... 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 fall out 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 singin'...
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... 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 candle stick
'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
He was singin'...
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... 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 singin'...
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
They were singin'...
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin'... this'll be the day that I die
02 Till Tomorrow (02:15)
What can this be, can you tell me?
Would you like to discover why we're not free
To be lovers
I've been wanting to ask you
Where has all the love gone
And what have we become
Storm clouds full of thunder
Move silent as they drum
And when they're gone
we'll be fine, till tomorrow
Though I hope it won't rain
You will be mine
And my sorrow
Will take wings in the morning,
High above the heavens
A rainbow paints the sky
White doves sing their songs of love
I watch them as they fly
And wonder what can this be
Can you tell me
Would you like to discover why we're not free
To be lovers
03 Vincent (04:04)
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life, as lovers often do
But I could've told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frame-less heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen.
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will
04 Crossroads (03:40)
I've got nothing on my mind,
Nothing to remember,
Nothing to forget.
And I've got nothing to regret.
But I'm all tied up on the inside,
No one knows quite what I've got,
And I know that on the outside
What I used to be
I'm not
anymore.
You know I've heard about people like me
But I never made the connection.
They walk one road to set them free
And find they've gone the wrong direction.
But there's no need for turning back
Cause all roads lead to where I stand;
And I believe I'll walk them all
No matter what I may have planned.
Can you remember who I was?
Can you still feel it?
Can you find my pain?
Can you heal it?
Then lay your hands upon me now
And cast this darkness from my soul.
You alone can light my way.
You alone can make me whole
Once again.
We've walked both sides of every street
Through all kinds of windy weather;
But that was never our defeat
As long as we could walk together.
So there's no need for turning back
Cause all roads lead to where we stand;
And I believe we'll walk them all
No matter what we may have planned.
05 Winterwood (03:11)
No one can take your place with me
And time has proven that I'm right
There's no place I'd rather be
Than at your place for the night
No time can pass your sight unseen
No moment steals away unfound
Lifetime lived in such a dream
Floats like a feather to the ground
And for the first time I've been seeing
The things I'd never noticed without you
And for the first time I'm discovering
The things I used to treasure about you
The birds like leaves on Winterwood
Sing hopeful songs on dismal days
They've learned to live life as they should
They are at peace with Nature's ways
You are as natural as the night
And all that springs from you is good
And the children born beneath your light
Are like the birds on Winterwood
And for the first time I've been seeing
The things I'd never noticed without you
And for the first time I'm discovering
The things I used to treasure about you
06 Empty Chairs (03:28)
I feel the trembling tingle of a sleepless night,
Creep through my fingers and the moon is bright.
Beams of blue come flickering through my windowpane,
Like Gypsy moths that dance around a candle flame.
And I wonder if you know, that I never understood, that
Although you said you'd go, until you did, I never thought you would.
Moonlight use to bath the contours of your face.
Chestnut hair fell all around the pillowcase.
And the fragrance of your flowers rest beneath my head,
A sympathy bouquet left with a love that's dead.
And I wonder if you know, that I never understood,
That although you said you'd go, until you did, I never thought you would.
Never thought the words you said were true.
Never thought you said just what you meant.
Never knew how much I needed you.
Never thought you'd leave, until you went.
Morning comes and morning goes with no regret.
Evening brings the memories I can't forget.
Empty rooms that echo as I climb the stairs,
Empty clothes that drape and fall on empty chairs.
And I wonder if you know, that I never understood,
That although you said you'd go, until you did, I never thought you would.
08 Sister Fatima (02:36)
Words & Music by Don McLean
The spirit of Fatima still rules the Earth
She knows your future, she knows what it's worth
Sister Fatima has God-given powers
And on 42nd Street a shop that sells flowers
Is her palace, come and be healed
She knows all your business, your health and your ills
She'll counsel your weddings, divorces and wills
For full restoration five dollars an hour
And with each consultation a free holy flower
And if she likes you, well you can have two
And I came from nowhere like you and your friend
My searching and wandering went on without end
My future was dim, my spirit was crushed
In one sacred moment my questions were hushed
I'm a servant of fate in this garden of truth
A humble recruit of the taffeta booth
Where all things are known but few are revealed
Where sins are forgotten and sickness is healed
For five dollars the flower is free
09 The Grave (03:14)
The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours,
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone.
He's gone.
When the wars of our nation did beckon,
A man barely twenty did answer the calling.
Proud of the trust that he placed in our nation,
He's gone,
But Eternity knows him, and it knows what we've done.
And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers
Leaving brown, muddy clay where the earth had been dry.
And deep in the trench he waited for hours,
As he held to his rifle and prayed not to die.
But the silence of night was shattered by fire
As guns and grenades blasted sharp through the air.
And one after another his comrades were slaughtered.
In morgue of Marines, alone standing there.
He crouched ever lower, ever lower with fear.
"They can't let me die! They can't let me die here!
I'll cover myself with the mud and the earth.
I'll cover myself! I know I'm not brave!
The earth! the earth! the earth is my grave."
The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours,
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone.
He's gone.
10 Babylon (01:41)
Singing in 'rounds', first person sings once right through, then second person
starts when first person reaches second verse, third person when second reaches
second verse, and so on...
By the waters
The waters
Of Babylon.
We lay down and wept
And wept
For thee Zion.
We remember
Thee remember
Thee remember
Thee Zion
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By ferdydurke
‘Something touched me deep inside the day the music died.’
Don McLean has always lived in the sauce-less part of my memory, yet his memory still causes me drowsiness and spiritual flatulence.
