ajvernon@wateng.UUCP (Andrew J. Vernon) (05/29/85)
Awhile back I was discussing Don MacLean's music with a friend. Of
course the subject of the meaning of the lyrics to American Pie was brought
up. I had been told that the whole song had no meaning -- it was just simply
meant to be nonsensical (supposedly, when asked about the meaning of the
lyrics, this is what Maclean originally said). However at a later date,
Maclean admitted that the song was actually a statement and all the lyrics
did indeed have meaning (the entire song is allegorical).
I was wondering if anyone knows the meaning of all the lyrics. If this
has been previously discussed on the net, could someone mail me the
translations? If the subject hasn't arisen before, please mail responses and
I'll summarize to the net.
To start things off, here are a few of the lyrics I do know about:
"the day the music died" - Buddy Holly's death
"the quartet practised in the park" - the Beatles
"eight miles high and falling fast" - refers to the demise of the Birds(?)
after the release of their song (can't
remember which) that was purported to
be about drugs.
"the jester" - Bob Dylan (later, when he's "on the sidelines with a cast"
refers to Dylan after his motorcycle accident)
"Satan" - refers to Mick Jagger (also a reference to the Rolling Stones
"hiring" of the Hell's Angels to crash a concert (?) )
Of course the list goes on. I am particularily interested in knowing who
are "the three men I admire the most / the father the son and the holy
ghost".
--
----------------------------------------
Andrew Vernon
Computer Communications Networks Group
University Of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont.
----------------------------------------
...!{allegra | decvax | clyde | ihnp4 }!watmath!wateng!ajvernonevan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus) (06/03/85)
Quickie response to the question about the Byrds drug-related song
that helped end their career (it didn't really)...it was called
Eight Miles High.
--Evan Marcus
--
{ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan
...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan
"So, if she weighs the same as a duck, she is made of wood..."
"And therefore..."
"A witch!"jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (06/04/85)
A friend of mine who worked as a DJ in a radio station at the time this
song was popular told me that a list was distributed to radio stations
along with the album, telling the meaning of all the allusions such as you
have cited. I hope someone maybe has a copy of this, as I would like to
know what it said.
--
Full-Name: J. Eric Roskos
UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer
US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC;
2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
"Zl FB vf n xvyyre junyr."rose@sdcsvax.UUCP (Daniel Rose) (06/05/85)
In article <2441@wateng.UUCP> ajvernon@wateng.UUCP (Andrew J. Vernon) writes: > > Awhile back I was discussing Don MacLean's music with a friend. Of >course the subject of the meaning of the lyrics to American Pie was brought >up. I had been told that the whole song had no meaning -- it was just simply >meant to be nonsensical (supposedly, when asked about the meaning of the >lyrics, this is what Maclean originally said). However at a later date, >Maclean admitted that the song was actually a statement and all the lyrics >did indeed have meaning (the entire song is allegorical). > I was wondering if anyone knows the meaning of all the lyrics. > . . . > To start things off, here are a few of the lyrics I do know about: > >"the day the music died" - Buddy Holly's death >"the quartet practised in the park" - the Beatles >"eight miles high and falling fast" - refers to the demise of the Birds(?) > after the release of their song (can't > remember which) that was purported to > be about drugs. >"the jester" - Bob Dylan (later, when he's "on the sidelines with a cast" > refers to Dylan after his motorcycle accident) >"Satan" - refers to Mick Jagger (also a reference to the Rolling Stones > "hiring" of the Hell's Angels to crash a concert (?) ) > I've heard about all these references to; one account was that the whole song was about the Altamont Stones' concert where the Hell's Angels killed two (?) fans: "No angel born in hell / could break that satan's spell." But the real story seems to be that the whole song is about Buddy Holly's death, and commenting on the rest of the music scene. After all, the entire album was dedicated to Buddy Holly. Dan Rose ... sdcsvax!rose
showard@udenva.UUCP (showard) (06/06/85)
> Awhile back I was discussing Don MacLean's music with a friend. Of > course the subject of the meaning of the lyrics to American Pie was brought > up. > > To start things off, here are a few of the lyrics I do know about: > > "the day the music died" - Buddy Holly's death > "the quartet practised in the park" - the Beatles > "eight miles high and falling fast" - refers to the demise of the Birds(?) > after the release of their song (can't > remember which) that was purported to > be about drugs. > "the jester" - Bob Dylan (later, when he's "on the sidelines with a cast" > refers to Dylan after his motorcycle accident) > "Satan" - refers to Mick Jagger (also a reference to the Rolling Stones > "hiring" of the Hell's Angels to crash a concert (?) ) Actually, the Hell's Angels were used as SECURITY for the Stone's Free Concert at Altamont. They beat a black teenager to death. > > Of course the list goes on. I am particularily interested in knowing who > are "the three men I admire the most / the father the son and the holy > ghost". > Respectively, John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. > -- > ---------------------------------------- > Andrew Vernon > Computer Communications Networks Group > University Of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont. > ---------------------------------------- > > ...!{allegra | decvax | clyde | ihnp4 }!watmath!wateng!ajvernon -- Mr. Blore, the DJ who would not die. -- ...udevna!showard -- "I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died"
steiny@idsvax.UUCP (Don Steiny) (06/08/85)
>
When "the worst song ever" was a topic in net.music,
I was going to nominate "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie."evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus) (06/10/85)
steiny@idsvax.UUCP (Don Steiny) writes in <158@idsvax.UUCP> > When "the worst song ever" was a topic in net.music, > I was going to nominate "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie." Firstly, the song was simply called American Pie. But, WHY????????? It is a classic of modern music! McLean's lyrics are marvelous! What could be wrong with it?????? Mail or post...I'll discuss this with you anywhere you like! --Evan Marcus -- {ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan ...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan "So, if she weighs the same as a duck, she is made of wood..." "And therefore..." "A witch!"
rdz@ccice5.UUCP (06/11/85)
> Quickie response to the question about the Byrds drug-related song > that helped end their career (it didn't really)...it was called > Eight Miles High. > Here we go, again! This song is about an airplane trip to London. Now, I don't know if they were on drugs while they were flying. :-) *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
steiny@idsvax.UUCP (Don Steiny) (06/13/85)
> > steiny@idsvax.UUCP (Don Steiny) writes in <158@idsvax.UUCP> > > > When "the worst song ever" was a topic in net.music, > > I was going to nominate "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie." > > Firstly, the song was simply called American Pie. > > But, WHY????????? It is a classic of modern music! McLean's lyrics are > marvelous! What could be wrong with it?????? > > --Evan Marcus Well it is all a matter of taste, and many people enjoy songs I do not. Fact is that "American Pie" was very high in the charts for a long time in the late 60's. I remember riding to to high school with a person who lived near me (not a friend exactly, he was sort of a redneck). That song played over and over. Its lyrics may be profound, but, to me, its melody is like a TV commercial. And all this stuff about how his lyrics contained references to various media people of the time, somehow does not strike me as weighty stuff. But, since it was high in the charts, obviously, many people liked it. So, I apologize for criticizing it. I found out long ago that instead of criticizing popular taste, i.e. "A.M. radio sucks", I have a guitar, a stereo and hundreds of records and tapes of music I really like. That way I can listen to music I like and I have nothing to complain about. pesnta!idsvax!steiny Don Steiny - Computational Linguistics 109 Torrey Pine Terr. Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 (408) 425-0832
steiny@idsvax.UUCP (Don Steiny) (06/13/85)
> > that this song is a CLASSIC. Of what? Top 40? > > By the way, what would you say the best song ever is? > I really never thought that there could be such a thing, but perhaps "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" by George Gershwin would be a good candidate. This would be based on the fact that since it was first performed in 1935 to now the song has been performed by countless musicians in many musical forms. From its origin as a show tune it has been performed by jazz artists, folk artists, and rock artists (Janis Joplin did an ass-kicking version). It is a universal song, it trancends age group, race, musical category, time, and place. If people do interpretations of a song, and many musicians like a song, so they all know how to play it, the song endures. "American Pie" is hardly a song that musicians struggle to learn so they can play with better musicians. I would consider "great songs" songs like "Mood Indigo" and "Caravan" by Duke Ellington (to name two of his great songs), "Salt Creek," "I am a Pilgrim," "16 Tons," and other songs that are widely known by musicians. One would not expect the folks at the Cotton Club getting down with a Otis Redding type belting out "American Pie." It is hard to imagine anyone but Don McKlean singing it. It was a great media event, but it is hard to argue that it is a good song. pesnta!idsvax!steiny Don Steiny - Computational Linguistics 109 Torrey Pine Terr. Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 (408) 425-0832