The American Pie Blog

Dedicated to Buddy Holly and Don McLean

While traveling on a 12-day car tour through 20 states, my wife and I had the great fortune to visit Clear Lake, Iowa, on 7/13/2007. Following a concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on February 2, 1959, Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens took off in a plane from the Mason City airport. Minutes later, the three performers and their pilot were killed when their plane crashed in a field about five miles north of the airport. The crash occurred on February 3, 1959 … “The Day the Music Died.”

As a former deejay playing oldies on the radio, I am quite familiar with Buddy Holly. I’ve also studied the history of rock and roll and broadcast radio, and Buddy Holly has been a personal favorite and hero since the release of “American Pie” by Don McLean in 1971. McLean, a very talented singer/songwriter, attended my high school, Iona Preparatory School, in New Rochelle, NY, graduating eleven years before me in 1963. In 1971, my parents tried to convince me that “American Pie” was a song about communism, so I felt compelled to defend my fellow alumnus and I’ve since endeavored to understand the song in its entirety.

Don McLean, as any good poet would do, has refused to give his interpretation of the song. That is the true artistry of the poet, letting each of us have our own visuals, images, feelings and meanings. As a middle school English teacher, my purpose is not to make you think what I think … maybe my musing can provide a road map and some clues to help you along your journey is appreciating this musical masterpiece.

Over the years, I’ve heard and read many different interpretations of McLean’s classic. In order to formulate your own opinions using as much of McLean’s own words as possible, you owe yourself a visit to McLean’s web site for his perspectives. It is very straight-forward and illuminating, and any translation by me would be a disservice to you and McLean.

You’ll also find a number of fabulous interviews with Don McLean, you can view written material including a letter from a Buddy Holly biographer and a video in which McLean talks about Buddy Holly. NOTE: Make sure to “right-click” any hyperlinks and then select “Open in New Window” or “Open in New Tab” so you don’t lose me!)

Let’s begin our journey to understand the lyrics of “American Pie,” a work of poetry that can be open to many interpretations. There is no question that Buddy Holly was a major influence on a young McLean and countless other musicians of the 1960’s (The Beatles and The Hollies, for example). By the late 1960’s, Buddy Holly had drifted from mainstream radio play, and would not be played again until the birth of the “Oldies” format in the early 1970’s. But it was Don McLean’s “American Pie” that reminded many people about Buddy.

McLean describes the album and the song “American Pie” as a dream, his own personal effort to mirror “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles. Sgt. Pepper, released for the summer of 1967 (The Summer of Love), was one of three dominant albums along with Jefferson Airplane’s “Surrealistic Pillow” and The Doors breakout album (“The Doors”). Sgt. Pepper was the first theme album and set an impossibly high standard for performers; this was what an album could be and was supposed to be.

Sgt. Pepper was, however, as far away from the music of the late fifties as anything at the time could be. The music of the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s was about dancing. It was about love and teenage exuberance. It was about a new sound. McLean (born October 2, 1945) enjoyed his teenage years from 1958 to 1965, a very interesting time in rock and roll history. As a musician, McLean was influenced by other musicians and musical happenings. As an Iona Prep student, under the instruction of the Christian Brothers of Ireland (Roman Catholic), and with an Irish surname (McLean), the election and presidency of John F. Kennedy would have held great significance to him.

So … are you ready to rock and roll? If you want a comparison to my thoughts, Please visit:

The Ultimate American Pie web site

Understanding American Pie

For best results, open the two web sites in new tabs/pages and compare back and forth. Let’s go to Verse 1 and the Refrain.

Go to Verse 1