[Chorus]
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"
We have all
heard those familiar lyrics at least one time or another on the radio in the
car or on that one album that your parents keep packed away in that dusty box
in the corner. The tune is catchy and the words are easy to sing along to. It
is one of those songs that is decades old, yet can still have people humming
along to. But how many people actually understand what Don McLean, writer and
singer of the song, is actually talking about?
Ever since I
first heard the song, I literally thought he was singing about how much he
loved pie and America. To say the least, I was simple minded and thought
everything that people said or sang or wrote was literally what they meant… I
had yet to learn of metaphors, implications, similes, etc.
Our
assignment was to look up a song that we do not quite understand and to analyze
it like we would a poem. After some research via good old google, I found out
that McLean was in fact singing about the downfall of society in the early and
late 60s. He sings about the loss of moral values and religion- how people
became addicted to drugs as well as the political and social movements that
were taking place. The American landscape was radically changing … and McLean’s
song only captures a little bit of the historical transition that took place in
the 50s and the 60s.
For a more
in- depth look at the song, visit the following website:
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