It's a great song.And so you've basically got the moderate geezer, you've got the Soviet geezer, and you've got the nanny state geezer. The father, son and the holy ghost / They took the last train to the coast' - the death of religion in America is, perhaps, also a theme?)Īnyway.

but the man there said the music wouldn't play. Can music save your mortal soul?' Verse 5: 'No angel born in hell could brake that Satan's spell / And as the flames climbed high into the night / To light the sacrificial rite / I saw Satan laughing with delight' Verse 6: 'I went down to the sacred store. (Verse 2: 'Do you have faith in God above if the Bible tells you so?. It's also worth comparing the religious imagery used through the song.

The lyrics often allude to song titles, album names, and memorable lyrics of top songs from the 1960s and '70s. There is, of course, much more than this to the song. It's about a simpler time (represented by 'Miss American Pie') passing, and mourning that time. The romance of the chevy, but finding a the levy dry speaks of disappointment. (AFAIK, there's not much consensus on who 'the father, son and holy ghost' refer to).Ĭhorus: This is more about imagery. The great bands of Don McLean's youth are gone, time has moved on, and it's a wistful look back to a simpler time. It was a tragic day for the image of rock music. Violence escalates, resulting in injuries and deaths. The Hell's Angels motorbike gang are brought in as security. Verse 5: The Rolling Stones play at Altamont Free Concert. There are more references to The Beatles, and to Bob Dylan badly injuring himself in a motorbike accident. Verse 4: This verse is about the rise of hippy counter-culture, and also how it came to a dismal end, as the US government was harsh putting down protests. Verse 3: This refers to Bob Dylan ('the jester'), the Beatles ('while Lennon read a book on Marx, the quartet practised in the park') and how they usurped Elvis Presley ('The King') as the voice of the generation. Verse 2: Much of the imagery here describes 1950s courting at a high school dance. Verse 1: Briefly, this is about hearing the news about the plane crash, and who died. The song is about the evolution of American popular culture from the end of the 1950s up to the start of the '70s.Ī plane crash killing the rock 'n' roll legend, Buddy Holly, as well as several other talented young musicians.

Song meaning american pie