27 April 2010

American Pie

I'm sure you've seen it too 'cause I've already received it from five people this week...
A video of Uncle Sam parodying our democrat leadership, sung to the tune of Don McClean's "American Pie". It's pretty well done, but as a music lover that can remember "The day the music died", I'm once again distracted by the tune itself.
The connection to the death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and "Big Bopper" J.P. Richardson is obvious. But Man! There are a lot of words in that song and the connection some of them have to the main theme has always made me curious.
You too?
Well I went surfing and found this explanation that seems to make about as much sense as anything else I've read.

The day the music died.
Music was such an important cultural factor from '63 to the mid 70's. How different could it/would it have been if Buddy had survived?
"If you knew... Peggy Sue"...
It's an interesting question.

3 comments:

Rita said...

I don't know anyone of our age group that doesn't know that song word for word.

I seem to recall a version "back in the day" that would play parts of the song, then give the interpretation. And I always thought "players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield" was referencing Kent State.


I suppose that's why McClean has always refused to tell us what every line meant, so that we can sit here 40 years later and still discuss what the lyrics mean.

The Old Man said...

I used to sing that song to my kids as a lullaby because I didn't know any traditional ones. True story - ask 'em.

Dixon Webb said...

Hi Greybeard . . I just finished this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmEE61iVhCA

You told me (a while ago) it would wake me up.

It did !

Thanks

Bump