When I was in middle school, I had a music teacher who loved music from the ‘60s-’70s. The Beatles were his favorite. One day, he decided that our class was going to focus on the interpretation of lyrics. For this assignment, he picked a song he claimed would give us the most varied interpretations. He then played Don McLean’s “American Pie”. It was my first time hearing the song, and many of us were surprised by how hard it would be to try and interpret the song’s lyrics. If only we knew that it was the whole point of the lesson.
Don McLean recorded and released the song in 1971. The main basis of the song is “the day the music died”. This line was meant to represent February 3, 1959. This date is significant because that was the day musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper all died in a plane crash. This crash signified the end of the early rock and roll era. This makes the song have a more somber and nostalgic take on the ‘60s. Many have tried to figure out McLean's lyrics and connect them to different events of the '60s, with little success on that front. The whole point of the song is simply nostalgic remembrance, with a hint of mourning. Whether that is positive or negative is up to whoever is trying to figure out the song. McLean himself has gone on record to state that outside of the plane crash, most of the lyrics are steeped in impressionism. This means there is no correct interpretation of the song. He once stated when asked about the song, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to."
The song mourns the loss of the legends of early rock and roll. McLean got the inspiration when he was delivering papers and saw the headline. It was about the plane crash previously mentioned. As someone who grew up in that time, he chose for the song to signify the decade as a whole. It starts in 1959 and ends with the final breath of the ‘60s. Music can bring about so many emotions, and many believe McLean was trying to capture the emotions of rock and roll in this song. McLean grew up listening to the music, and this was his way of honoring what was lost.
I’d say Mclean did a great job of doing what he set out to do. He wanted the music to be remembered by future generations. If anything good had come from the late ‘50s-’60s, it would have been the music. Many ideas of the song may distort or push something when talking about the ‘60s, but McLean just wanted his raw emotions to be heard and felt by the masses. The fact that we are still trying to figure it out 50+ years later, speaks volumes about how it resonated with us.
I don’t have an interpretation of the song, not anymore. Sometimes a song doesn’t have to be understood lyrically to be felt emotionally. The whole point is to simply sit back, listen, and let nostalgia and remembrance wash over you. If you weren’t from that time, no problem. It’s never too late to sit and listen to what made the time great.
Sources
Howard, Dr. Alan. "The Don McLean Story: 1970–1976". Don-McLean.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007.
