h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

dirges are songs of mourning....

Since Lennon and Lenin are pronounced identically, it seems reasonable to assume that it was intended to sound like both. With Marx it suggests Lenin. With the quartet, it suggests The Beatles and John Lennon. No mystery there.

The father, son and Holy Ghost, the three men I admire most...
could It be the three stars that died?

Now, let's start from the start...

A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to
make me smile
And I knew that if I had my chance
I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Now do you believe in Rock 'n' roll
And can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cos I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pick-up truck
But I knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing

Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play

Well now, in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
Tho church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire the most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

We started singin'

Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

They aren't pronounced identically. In English--or British English at least--Lenin is pronounced len-in (in Russian leN-eeN, with your tongue on your teeth for the Ns), while Lennon is pronounced len-ern.

Oops, missed a verse...
I still think it sounds like Lenin...

besides, how could lennon be doing two things at the same time?

What on earth is a "broncin' buck"?

Are you sure that is the correct word?

A broncin' buck is a play on words from 'buck' a young fellow, and buckin' bronco, a wild stallion.

And Wyld Stallyns was Bill and Ted's band, wasn't it?

A made up word then? That is ok, I looked it up and couldn't find it in the dictionary. That explains why

I think this is all the lyrics:

A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to
make me smile
And I knew that if I had my chance
I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Now do you believe in Rock 'n' roll
And can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cos I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pick-up truck
But I knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing

Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Now for ten years, we've been on our own
In morse groves, sat on a Rolling Stone(?)
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean in a voice that came from you and me...
Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned!

And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day, the music died

*moss grows fat on a rolling stone*

Actually I found the lyrics on
http://www.reallyrics.com/lyrics/D004500010001.asp
They say Lennon read the book, but I still say its Lenin!

Hear, Hear...

Official lyrics from http://www.don-mclean.com/



American Pie
A long long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while.
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died

{Refrain}
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Did you write the Book of Love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Do you believe in rock 'n roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

I started singin'
{Refrain}

Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the King and Queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh, and while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died



We were singing
{Refrain}

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul out on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the Sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died

We started singing
{Refrain}

Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation Lost in Space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the Devil's only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing
{Refrain}

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music woudn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

And they were singing
{Refrain}

They were singing bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die

Copyright ©1995-2003 Alan Howard. Licensed by Don McLean.

Seamus

I always thought those big drainage channels like the one they use for the car racing in Grease were called levees....thats what my mum told me

HEY! Me too PQ!

I knew it!

What a bunch!

After two and a half pages talking about what the words mean, someone has at last downloaded the right words!!!!!

And the arguements continue....!

Here is an excellent site with multiple interpretations of the song. What I find interesting is that many of them take completely different directions, everything from the JFK assasination to the music industry.
http://www.mbhs.edu/~bconnell/cty/american-pie.html