Don McLean’s American Pie

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 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?
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 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.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And 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
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 of 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.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And 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 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.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And 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 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

He was singing,
Bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And 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 singing,
Bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old 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 singing,
Bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, this’ll be the day that I die.

Guitar Chords

Don McLean American Pie Chords

.

.                   AMERICAN PIE   (Don Mclean)      (SIMPed  by Sennet)

.  G     D        Em      

A long, long time ago__   

Am             C              Em                     D

I can still remember how that music used to make me smile.__

.   G         D     Em             Am                 C  

And I knew if I had my chance that I could make those people dance 

.   Em               C           D

and maybe they'd by happy for a while.

Em            Am             Em              Am            

But February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver.  

.C       G       Am           C                 D         

Bad news on the doorstep.  I couldn't take one more step  

.  G       D        Em             Am7            D

I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride,

G           D         Em              C       D7       G   C  G

Something touched me deep inside the day_ the music  died._____ 

.

Chorus:

.       G    C         G       D           G             C            

.   So bye-bye, Miss American Pie.Drove my Chevy to the levee but the 

.    G         D         G        C                  G          D     

.   levee was dry, them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and Rye, singing

.   Em                        A7      Em                         D7

.   this'll be the day that I die,    This'll be the day that I die.__

verse:

G                 Am,                 C                 Am      

Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above?__ 

.      Em               D           G      D       Em                 

If the Bible tells you so__  Now do you believe in rock and roll?  

.   Am              C               Em                       A7           D7

Can music save your mortal soul? and can you teach me how to dance_ real slow?

.       Em                 Am                     Em              Am         

Well I know that you're in love with him 'cause I saw you dancing in the gym,

_    C        G          A7            C                    D7     

You both kicked off your shoes,  Man I dig those rhythm and blues!

.        G      D        Em                   Am                   C

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck, with a pink carnation and a pick-up truck.

.   G      D     Em               C        D7     G  C  G 

But I knew I was out of luck the day, the music died.___ 

G           D7

I started singing....     (chorus)

.

.        G                    Am,            C                   Am      

Now for ten years, we've been on our own and moss grows fat on a rolling stone,

Em                            D                   G     D            Em  

But that's not how it used to be.Cause when the jester sang for the King & 

Queen

.    Am                C                    Em                   A7      D7

in a coat he borrowed from James Dean and a voice that came from you and me__

.       Em                 Am                  Em               Am  

Oh and while the king was looking down    the jester stole his thorny crown

_    C          G     A7         C            D7     

the court room was adjourned no verdict was returned.

.          G      D     Em                      Am              C

And while Lennon read a book on Marx      the quartet practiced in the park 

G            D     Em              C            D7      G  C  G 

and we sang dirges in the dark the day__    the music  died__ 

G           D7

I started singin'      (chorus) 

.

Chord fingering chart:

.       E A D G B E           E A D G B E           E A D G B E

A       0 0 2 2 2 0    Am7    0 0 2 0 1 0   D7      x x 0 2 1 2

Am      0 0 2 2 1 0    C      x 3 2 0 1 0   Em      0 2 2 0 0 0

A7      0 0 2 0 2 0    D      x x 0 2 3 2   G       3 2 0 0 0 3

Chorus:

.       G    C         G       D           G             C            

.   So bye-bye, Miss American Pie.Drove my Chevy to the levee but the 

.    G         D         G        C                  G          D     

.   levee was dry, them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and Rye, singing

.   Em                        A7      Em                         D7

.   this'll be the day that I die,    This'll be the day that I die.__

G              Am,                         C                    Am      

Helter skelter in the summer swelter_ the birds flew off with a fallout shelter

Em                           D           G          D       Em 

Eight miles high and falling fast__  it landed foul on the grass

.    Am                   C                   Em                      A7      D7

The players tried for a forward pass with the jester on the sidelines in a cast_

.   Em                 Am                      Em                 Am 

The half time air was sweet perfume while the seargeants played a marching tune

_  C      G       A7              C              D7     

we all got up to dance___  but we never got the chance.   'Cause 

.    G        D      Em                       Am              C

the players tried to take the field, but the marching band refused to yield

.G       D        Em                       C        D7    G  C  G 

Do you recall what was revealed  _____ the day the music died.

G         D7

I started singin'      (chorus)

.

.   G                 Am,              C           Am      

And there we were all in one place,  A generation lost in space.

.   Em                       D                   G      D       Em 

With no time left, to start again. So come on, Jack be nimble, jack be quick,

Am                  C                     Em          A7            D7

Jack flash sat on a candlestick.   'Cause fire is the devil's only friend.

.   Em               Am               Em                     Am  

And as I watched him on the stage  my hands were clenched in fists of rage.

.  C     G       A7              C                 D7     

no angel born in hell__   could break that satan's spell

.  G        D             Em                      Am            C

And as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite

G      D              Em                 C        D7     G   C  G 

I_ saw Satan laughing with delight,  the day the music died.    

G          D7

we were singin'     (chorus)

.

.  G     D       Em                

I met a girl who sang the blues so 

.  Am                  C            Em                                D 

I asked her for some happy news but she just smiled__    and turned away.

. G     D          Em                      Am              C 

I went down to the sacred store.  Where I heard the music years before.__

.       Em                 C              D

But the man there said the music wouldn't play.__     And

Em                  Am                    Em                   Am    

in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried and the poets dreamed.

.    C     G        Am              C                          D 

But not a word was spoken.__  The church__ bells_ all_ were_ broken.

.         G       D   Em               Am7                 D  

And the three men I admire most:  the father, Son and the Holy Ghost__

.     G          D         Em                 C       D7     G   C  G

They caught the last train for the coast the day, the music died.

G             D7                              C             D7         G C G

And they were singing:(chorus twice, ending: this'll be the day that I die)

.

Chord fingering chart:

.       E A D G B E           E A D G B E           E A D G B E

A       0 0 2 2 2 0    Am7    0 0 2 0 1 0    D7     x x 0 2 1 2

Am      0 0 2 2 1 0    C      x 3 2 0 1 0   Em      0 2 2 0 0 0

A7      0 0 2 0 2 0    D      x x 0 2 3 2   G       3 2 0 0 0 3

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