Thread: Day The Music Died

Originally Posted by leadduck

There is much speculation of what Don McLean was referring to as the Day the Music Died. When the song came out, I was in my Junior year of college writing an essay on the song, for a Sociology class. It's interesting how the song has been interpreted over the years. I'd love to get into it but that would be another thread.

It's interesting that McLean never revealed the meanings of his lyrics from "American Pie". He leaves the interpretations to his fans. I have a folder full of many interpretations when I was doing research on the subject.

Originally Posted by zepplin

It's interesting that McLean never revealed the meanings of his lyrics from "American Pie". He leaves the interpretations to his fans. I have a folder full of many interpretations when I was doing research on the subject.

I thought is was the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper ? BTW, as most of you probably know, Waylon Jennings was Buddy Holly's bass player. He gave his seat to the Bopper because Big Bopper was ill and Waylon took his seat on the bus so the Bopper would get to the next gig faster. Waylon was haunted by this for the rest of his life .... or so he said.

Originally Posted by leadduck

There is much speculation of what Don McLean was referring to as the Day the Music Died. When the song came out, I was in my Junior year of college writing an essay on the song, for a Sociology class. It's interesting how the song has been interpreted over the years. I'd love to get into it but that would be another thread.

saw an interview a few years back. he referred to the crash in iowa that killed buddy and fellow singers, but did not confirm that was what was referred to in the song. much like carly simon's song "you're so vain" she says it will be explained about who she is talking about just before she dies and not before...

by the way i was not born until april of 1959, so i missed it too...

I,too was in the womb,just waiting to get borned.Didn't arrive til October of that GREAT year of 1959.I also always thought it referred to the plane crash that claimed those three artists.

I always assumed that it was accepted he referred to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly et al. .

What other theories did you uncover?

Originally Posted by 59caddy

saw an interview a few years back. he referred to the crash in iowa that killed buddy and fellow singers, but did not confirm that was what was referred to in the song. much like carly simon's song "you're so vain" she says it will be explained about who she is talking about just before she dies and not before...

by the way i was not born until april of 1959, so i missed it too...

You know she was referring to James Taylor. I'm 99.9% sure.

JT? I thought consensus was Warren Beatty who seems far more likely to be a vain individual than the oft camera-awkward Taylor.

Originally Posted by zepplin

You know she was referring to James Taylor. I'm 99.9% sure.

most i have heard think it was warren beatty with the possibility of mick jagger as she was quite, shall we say a "free love" person (guess we will have to wait until she is about to croak)

Originally Posted by zepplin

You know she was referring to James Taylor. I'm 99.9% sure.

+1 who else could it have been ? I love the one that Bob Dylan did on his old girl friend where he ends by saying, "what a drag it is to see you." Also his "it ain't me babe." Then there was the one Joan Baez did later in her career on Dylan... I don't remember the name of it but she wouldn't admit that it was about him even though it was obvious...."the unwashed phenomenon."

Originally Posted by IanS

I always assumed that it was accepted he referred to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly et al. .

What other theories did you uncover?

It's an absolute given that the song is in reference to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richarson). It's the rest of the song and what his (McLean's) lyrics actually mean. We could do an entire thread on this very subjective subject.

Here are just a few:

"BYE BYE MISS AMERICAN PIE" - Don McLean dated a Miss America Candidate during a pageant and broke up with her (why, I ask?) on February 3, 1959 (when the plane crashed)

"I DROVE MY CHEVY TO THE LEVEE, BUT THE LEVEE WAS DRY. THEM GOOD OL' BOYS WERE DRINKIN' WHISKEY AND RYE SINGING "THIS'LL BE THE DAY THAT I DIE, THIS'LL BE THE DAY THAT I DIE" - Driving the Chevy to the levee almost certainly refers to the three college students whose murder was the subject of the film "Mississippi Burning". The students were attempting to register as black voters, and after being killed by bigoted thugs their bodies were buried in a levee. Them good ol' boys being: Holly, Valens, and The Big Bopper, they were singing about their death on February 3, 1959. One of Holly's hits was "That'll Be The Day", the chorus contains the line "That'll Be The Day That I Die"

* As I said, more interpretations that could fill an entire thread. This is just a few.

Steve