american pie (Complete lyrics)

by Don McLean

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3     6    6    6    5 4
A   long, long time a--go
-5 -4   -5  -5 5 -4   4   -3  4 -3   4   -3  4   -3  3     
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
 3  6   6   6 6  6  -6   4     4  -4   5    -5    5   -4 5    -5 
And I knew if I had my chance that I could make those people dance
-4  4 -3"   4    -3" 4 -3" 4  5  -4 
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
-3" 5 5 5 5   -5  5  4  -4   5    5 5   5 5  -5   5 4 -3"
But February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver
 4   4   4   -3  -3" 4   -4  4   -4   5   -6   6    5
Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step
5  -6    6  6 5   -5 5   4    -3 -3" -4  5 -5   5  -4  5    -4   
I  can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
 -3"  5  5       5    5   5    5 -4   4  -3"  4  -5 5   4
But something touched me deep inside the day the music died
3   6   -5   -5  5 5 -4 4 -4 
So bye, bye Miss American Pie
  6   6   6 6  6  -5  -5 -5 -5   5   5 -4  4   3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3"   6   6    6   -5   -5   -5  5    5 -4    4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5   -4    4 -3"  4  -3" 4   -3 -3" -4   4   -3" 4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
 6  -6    6    6    6  -5   5  -4   5 -5   5    -5   5  -5  5 4    
Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above
4   4  4 -3   4    -3   3
If the Bible tells you so?
-6  6  -6   6  6   5   6    6   -6    5  6 -4   6    -5   5 -4   -5
Now do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul?
 5   4  -3"   4   -3" 4  -3"  4    5    5 
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
 5   -5  -6    5    5    5   -5   5    6  
Well, I know that you're in love with him
   -5  5  -6  5    5  5  -5  5   6 
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
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You both kicked off your shoes
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Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
8  7 -6  7  6   6  6    6   6    -6 
I was a lonely teenage bronc'n' buck
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With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
 5  5  7  -6  6   6  6   5
But I knew I was out of luck
 4   4   5  -5 5   4
The day the music died
6  6  6   -6  6    6   -5   -5  5 5 -4 4 -4 
I started singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
 6    6   6 6  6  -5  -5 -5 -5   5   5 -4  4   3   
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
 -3"  6   6    6   -5   -5   -5   5  5   -4   4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
 5  -4   4  -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -4   4   -3" 4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
 -3"  6  -6   6      6    6   -5  5  -4
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
 5   -5    5   -5  5 -5  5  4    -4 
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
-3"  4      4   4  -3   4  -3 3
But that's not how it used to be
 -6   6   -6 6   6    5   6   6   -6   -6   
When the jester sang for the king and queen
5  6  -4  -6  6  -5    5    -4    -5        
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
 5  4  -3"   4    -3"  4   -3"  4  5    
And a voice that came from you and me
5   -5   -6    5   5    5   -5  5   6 
Oh, and while the king was looking down
 5  -6  5    5    5  -5  5    6 
The jester stole his thorny crown
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The courtroom was adjourned
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No verdict was returned
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And while Lenin read a book on Marx
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The quartet practiced in the park
 5   5  7   -6 6    6  6   5
And we sang dirges in the dark
 4   4   5  -5 5   4
The day the music died
3   6   -5   -5  5 5 -4 4 -4 
So bye, bye Miss American Pie
  6   6   6 6   6 -5  -5 -5 -5   5   5 -4  4   3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
 -3"  6   6    6   -5   -5   -5  5   5   -4   4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
 5  -4    4 -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -4    4 -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
 6  -6  -6  6  6   6  -5  5   -4 -4 
Helter skelter in the summer swelter
 5   -5    -5   5   -5  5  -5  5   4 -4   
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
  4     4    4   -3"  4  -3"  3 
Eight miles high and falling fast
6   -6 6  6 5  6   6   -6
It landed foul on the grass
 5   6 -4     6   -5  5  -4 -5   -5 
The players tried for a forward pass
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With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
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Now the half time air was sweet perfume
  5    -6  5      5    5 -5   5    6 
While sergeants played a marching tune
5  -5   5  -4 4    5
We all got up to dance
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Oh, but we never got the chance
   8    7   -6  7    6   6   6    6  6  -6 
'Cause the players tried to take the field
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The marching band refused to yield
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Do you recall what was revealed
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The day the music died?
6   6 6    -6  6   6   -5  -5   5 5 -4 4 -4 
I started singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
  6    6  6 6   6 -5  -5 -5 -5   5   5 -4  4  3   
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
 -3"  6   6    6   -5   -5   -5   5   5 -4    4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
 5  -4   4  -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -4  4   -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
6    -6   -6   6  6    6  -5  5   -4   -4  5 -5 -5 5  -5  5   -5 
Oh, and there we were all in one place, a generation lost in space
  4  4    4   -3" 4   -3"  3 -3
With no time left to start again
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So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
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Jack Flash sat on a candlestick 'cause fire is the devil's only friend
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Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
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My hands were clenched in fists of rage
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No angel born in hell
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Could break that Satan's spell
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And as the flames climbed high into the night
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To light the sacrificial rite
5 -4   5  5  7  -6    6    6  5 
I saw Satan laughing with delight
 4   4   5  -5 5   4
The day the music died
6   6   -6  6   6   -5   -5  5 5 -4 4 -4
He was singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
  6   6   6 6   6 -5  -5 -5 -5   5   5 -4  4   3   
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
 -3"  6   6    6   -5   -5   -5   5  5   -4   4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
 5  -4   4  -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -4   4   -3" 4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
6  6  6  6    6   6    5   5
I met a girl who sang the blues
-4  5  -5    5  -5   5    -5    4   
And I asked her for some happy news
-3   4    4    4     -3   4   -3 3
But she just smiled and turned a-way
6  6    6   6   5   6 -6    5
I went down to the sacred store
  4    4   -4   5   -5 5   -4    5 -5
Where I'd heard the music years before
 5  -4   4   -3"   4   -3  4 -3"  4  -3"   5
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
-4  5   5     5     5   -5  5      -4 
And in the streets the children screamed
-3"  5 5     5    5   5  -5 5    4
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
-2"  4  4   4  -3  -3" 4
But not a word was spoken
-3"   4     -4    5   -6   6 5 
The church bells all were broken
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And the three men I admire most
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The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
 -5     5    5   5     5    5   5   3
They caught the last train for the coast
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The day the music died
 3   6    6    -6  6   6   -5   -5  5 5 -4 4 -4
And they were singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
  6   6   6 6  6  -5  -5 -5 -5   5  5 -4   4   3   
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3"   6   6    6  -5    -5   -5   5   5 -4    4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
 5  -4   4  -3" 4  -3"  4   -3 -3" -4   4  -3" 4  -3"  4   -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
 6    6    -6  6    6   -5   -5  5 5 -4 4 -4
They were singing, bye, bye Miss American Pie
  6   6   6 6  6  -5  -5 -5 -5   5   5 -4  4   3   
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3"   6   6    6   -5   -5   -5   5  5   -4   4  -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
 5  -4   4  -3"  4 -3"  4   -3 -3" -4   -5  5  -4  4  -3  -3" -3  4
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die