Song: American Pie (Live).
Artist: Don McLean
Album: American Pie (1971).
Tempo: Allegro.
Time: 4/4
Tabbed: rikigo
URL's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr-BYVeCv6U;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McLean
Tuning: Standard.
Chords:
EADGBe
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Intro (Sung with Piano only):
A long, long
time ago,
I can still re
member how tha
t music used t
o make me smil
e.
And I knew if
I had my chanc
e,
That I could m
ake those peop
le dance,
And maybe they
'd be happy fo
r a while.
But February m
ade me shiver,
with every pa
per I'd delive
r.
Bad news on th
e doorstep, I
couldn't take
one more step.
I can't rememb
er if I cried
when I read ab
out his widowe
d bride,
Something touc
hed me deep in
side.
The day the mu
sic died.
"Sing it for us, loud and clear"
Chorus 1:
So bye, bye Mi
ss American Pi
e,
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry.
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye,
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die,
This will be t
he day that I
die."
Verse 1:
Did you write
the book of lo
ve,
And do you hav
e faith in God
above,
If the Bible t
ells you so?
Now do you bel
ieve in rock a
nd roll?
Can music save
your mortal s
oul?
And can you te
ach me how to
dance real slo
w?
Well I know th
at you're in l
ove with him,
'Cause I saw y
ou dancin' in
the gym.
You both kicke
d off your sho
es, man I dig
those rhythm a
nd blues.
I was a lonely
teenage bronc
in' buck with
a pink carnati
on and a picku
p truck.
But I knew I w
#
as out of luck
the day the m
usic died, I s
tarted singing
'...
Chorus 2:
So bye, bye Mi
ss American Pi
e.
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry.
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye.
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die,
This will be t
he day that I
die."
Verse 2:
Now for ten ye
ars we've been
on our own,
And moss grows
fat on a roll
ing stone,
But that's not
how it used t
o be.
When the jeste
r sang for the
king and quee
n.
in a coat he b
orrowed from J
ames Dean, in
a voice that c
ame from you a
nd me.
And while the
king was looki
ng down, the j
ester stole hi
s thorny crown
.
The courtroom
was adjourned,
no verdict wa
s returned.
And while Leni
n read a book
on Marx, the q
uartet practic
ed in the park
.
And we sang di
rges in the da
rk, the day th
e music died,
we were singin
g'...
Chorus 3:
So bye, bye Mi
ss American Pi
e,
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry.
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye.
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die,
This will be t
he day that I
die."
Verse 3:
Helter skelter
in a summer s
welter,
The birds flew
off with a fa
llout shelter,
Eight miles hi
gh and fallin'
fast.
It landed foul
on the grass,
the players tr
ied for a forw
ard pass, with
the jester on
the sidelines
in a cast
Now at halftim
e there was sw
eet perfume, w
hile sergeants
played a marc
hing tune
We all got up
to dance, but
we never got t
he chance,
'Cause the pla
yers tried to
take the field
, the marching
band refused
to yield.
Do you recall
what was the f
eel the day th
e music died,
we started sin
ging'...
Chorus 4:
So bye, bye Mi
ss American Pi
e,
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry.
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye.
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die,
This will be t
he day that I
die."
Verse 4:
And there we w
ere all in one
place,
A generation l
ost in space,
With no time l
eft to start a
gain.
So come on Jac
k be nimble, J
ack be quick,
Jack Flash sat
on a candlest
ick,
'Cause fire is
the devil's o
nly friend.
And as I watch
ed him on the
stage, my hand
s were clenche
d in fists of
rage,
No angel born
in Hell could
break that Sat
an's spell.
And as the fla
mes climbed hi
gh into the ni
ght to light t
he sacrificial
rite,
I saw Satan la
ughing with de
light the day
the music died
, he was singi
ng'...
Chorus 5:
So bye, bye Mi
ss American Pi
e,
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry.
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye,
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die,
This will be t
he day that I
die."
Outro (Sung with Piano only):
I met a girl w
ho sang the bl
ues,
And I asked he
r for some hap
py news,
But she just s
miled and turn
ed away.
I went down to
the sacred st
ore,
Where I'd hear
d the music ye
ars before, bu
t the man ther
e said the mus
ic wouldn't pl
ay.
And in the str
eets the child
ren screamed,
the lovers cri
ed and the poe
ts dreamed.
But not a word
was spoken, t
he church bell
s all were bro
ken.
And the three
men I admire m
ost, the Fathe
r, Son, and th
e Holy Ghost,
They caught th
e last train f
or the coast t
he day the mus
ic died.
And they were
singing'...
"Sing it for me now"
Coda:
Bye, bye, bye
Miss American
Pie,
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry. "Everyb
ody"
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die,
This will be t
he day that I
die."
And they were
singing'...
Bye, bye, bye
Miss American
Pie,
Drove my Chevy
to the levy b
ut the levy wa
s dry. "Everyb
ody"
And them good
old boys were
drinkin' whisk
ey and rye
Singin' "This
will be the da
y that I die."
(End)
Notes:
1. This version was borne out frustration to get this to match the Live performance.
2. In 2001 "American Pie" was voted No. 5 in a poll of the 365 Songs of the
Century compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National
Endowment for the Arts.