American Pie
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| “American Pie” | |||||
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| Single by Don McLean from the album American Pie |
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| B-side | Empty Chairs (first release) American Pie part 2 (second release) | ||||
| Released | October 1971 (first release) November 1971 (second release) | ||||
| Format | vinyl record | ||||
| Recorded | May 26, 1971 | ||||
| Genre | Folk-rock | ||||
| Length | 8:30 (LP), 4:11 (Single Part 1), 4:31 (Single Part 2) | ||||
| Label | United Artists | ||||
| Writer(s) | Don McLean | ||||
| Producer | Ed Freeman | ||||
| Don McLean singles chronology | |||||
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"American Pie" is a rock song by singer-songwriter Don McLean.
Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was a number-one U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972. The song is an abstract story of his life that starts with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash in 1959, and ends in 1970. The importance of "American Pie" to America's musical and cultural heritage was recognized by the Songs of the Century education project which listed the song performed by Don McLean as the number five song of the twentieth century.
The song's lyrics are the subject of much curiosity. Although McLean dedicated the American Pie album to Buddy Holly, none of the singers in the plane crash are identified by name in the song itself. When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean replied, "It means I never have to work again."[1] Later, he more seriously stated "You will find many 'interpretations' of my lyrics but none of them by me... sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence."[2]
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[edit] Components
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[edit] Autobiographical theme
Don McLean's website describes the songwriter's purpose:
| “ | "['American Pie' is] autobiographical and presents an abstract story of Don McLean's life from the mid 1950s until when he wrote the song in the late 1960s. It is almost entirely symbolic of the evolution of popular music over these years and represents a change from the lightness of the 1950s to the darkness of the late 1960s."[3] | ” |
Years after the original recordings, McLean said in 2000:
| “ | The song starts off with my memories of the death of Buddy Holly. But it moves on to describe America as I was seeing it and how I was fantasizing it might become, so it's part reality and part fantasy, but in the song I’m always a witness or, in some verses, the subject. | ” |
He later went on to say,
| “ | The song was written as my attempt at an epic song about America, and I used the imagery of music and politics to do that. | ” |
"[3]
Don McLean began the song with the death of Marilyn Monroe (Miss American Pie). He used an August 1962 article about Monroe's death by Ayn Rand. He then went on to describe the changes that took place in America leading up to and through the Vietnam War.
[edit] The Day the Music Died
The Day the Music Died is the name McLean gave to February 3, 1959, the day an aircraft carrying musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper crashed, killing all three. But, as he explained on his web site, the date has a profound meaning to McLean because it marked a major change in his life:
| “ | In Don's life the transition from light (the innocence of childhood) to the darker realities of adulthood started with the death of Buddy Holly and culminated with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, Which was the start of a more difficult time for America.[3] | ” |
[edit] "Killing Me Softly" inspiration
Singer Lori Lieberman attended a McLean concert and in describing the experience to songwriters Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, she said he'd "killed her softly." Gimbel and Fox wrote "Killing Me Softly" about Lieberman's experience. The song then became a huge hit for Roberta Flack (and many years later for the Fugees).
This created a unique Grammy coincidence: in 1973 Flack won Record of the Year, beating out American Pie; in 1974, she won the same award for a song about McLean. Flack and McLean have performed "Killing Me Softly" together in concert at least once.
[edit] Covers
[edit] Madonna version
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
| “American Pie” | |||||
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| Single by Madonna from the album The Next Best Thing (OST) and Music (Not U.S.) |
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| Released | February 2000 | ||||
| Format | CD single Cassette single 7" single 12" maxi single |
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| Recorded | 2000 | ||||
| Genre | Pop-dance | ||||
| Length | 4:32 | ||||
| Label | Maverick, Warner Bros. | ||||
| Writer(s) | Don McLean | ||||
| Producer | Madonna William Orbit |
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| Certification | Australia (Gold) Austria (Gold) |
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| Madonna singles chronology | |||||
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For more details on this topic, see American Pie (Madonna song).
Madonna released her cover of the song as a single for the soundtrack to the 2000 film The Next Best Thing. Madonna's cover however is noted for being much shorter in length (it contains only the beginning of the first verse and all of the second and sixth verses) and for being recorded as a pop-dance song.
[edit] Soundtrack use
In a scene for The Next Best Thing, the main character Abbey and her friends attend the funeral of a friend who has died of AIDS. At the funeral they all start singing "American Pie". After shooting this scene Rupert Everett convinced Madonna to record her own version of the song and include it in the soundtrack to the film. The song was then recorded as a dance-pop genre instead of its original pop-rock format. The song was produced by William Orbit and Madonna and it was released as a single in February 2000.
The song was not included in the North American release of the Music album, however, it was added as a bonus track on the international releases. In an interview with BBC's Jo Whiley in late 2001, Madonna admitted to regretting that decision saying "a certain record company exec twisted her arm into doing it", because the decision to include "American Pie" in the album Music was not self willingly, Madonna decided not to include the song in her second compilation, GHV2. "American Pie" was the first single released by Madonna during the 2000's, her third decade as a solo artist.
[edit] Music video
The music video for "American Pie" was directed by Philipp Stolzl and was shot on January 10, 2000 at a Twickenham studio in London, England. The video itself pays a tribute to the seventies (the decade the song was recorded). The video features Madonna dancing in front of a large American flag. Other shots include ordinary people, playing children, a lonely woman in a store, interracial families standing together for a family portrait, lesbians embracing, a gay male couple kissing, and what appear as marines flexing. All these shots are shown in between shots of Madonna. Rupert Everett makes a cameo appearance in the video, with Madonna sitting on his lap, however there are no scenes from the movie.
- Director: Philipp Stolzl
- Producer: JP Fox
- Director of Photography: John Mathieson
- Editor: Sven Budelmann
- Production Company: Oil Factory Inc.
[edit] Formats and track listings
Canadian CD Maxi-single
- "American Pie" (Album version) – 4:34
- "American Pie" (Richard "Humpty" Vission radio mix) – 4:27
- "American Pie" (Calderone filter dub) – 6:00
- "American Pie" (Richard 'Humpty' Vission Visits Madonna) – 5:45
Japanese CD single
- "American Pie" (Calderone filter dub) – 6:00
- "American Pie" (Calderone vocal dub) – 6:15
German CD single
- "American Pie" (Calderone filter dub) – 5:59
- "American Pie" (Calderone vocal dub) – 6:15
- "American Pie" (Richard 'Humpty' Vission Visits Madonna) – 5:45
- "American Pie" (Album version) – 4:34
UK/US CD single
- "American Pie" (Victor Calderone vocal club mix) – 9:07
- "American Pie" (Victor Calderone extended vocal club mix) – 10:35
- "American Pie" (Richard "Humpty" Vission visits Madonna) – 5:43
- "American Pie" (Richard "Humpty" Vission radio mix) – 4:27
- "American Pie" (Album Version) – 4:33
[edit] Official versions
Remixes of the song were produced by Richard "Humpty" Vission and Victor Calderone.
- Album version – 4:35
- Richard "Humpty" Vission Visits Madonna – 5:43
- Richard Humpty Vission Radio Mix – 4:26
- Victor Calderone Extended Vocal Club Mix – 10:35
- Victor Calderone Filter Dub Mix – 6:04
- Victor Calderone Vocal Club Mix – 9:05
- Victor Calderone Vocal Dub Mix – 6:17
- Dan-O-Rama Remix #2 – 4:05
- D.U.I. Extended soft vox – 10:50 (Unreleased)
- D.U.I. Extended dub – 9:37 (Unreleased)
- D.U.I. Mad Vocalonna mix – 3:51 (Unreleased)
- Jonsi & Bix (titled JB) Mix - 3:56 (Didn't meet the deadline, so it remained unreleased)
[edit] Other straight covers
A few cover versions have been made over the years. The first English language cover version was by The Brady Bunch in 1972, but a Spanish translation sung by voice actor Francisco Colmenero surfaced around Mexico in 1971. (Eduardo Fonseca recorded a cover version of the translation in 2000.) Ska punk band Catch 22 made a ska version which became a staple of their live show, released in several versions. Alternative rock band Killdozer recorded a thrashing, ironic version of the song in 1989. Several disco versions have appeared over the years, and American pop singer Madonna released a cover of the song in 2000.
As heard on Live, Mott the Hoople opened mid-1970s concerts with singer Ian Hunter performing the first verse on solo piano up to the phrase the day the music died. Hunter would then add "or did it?", and the full band would segue into the next number.[4]
Tori Amos performed the song often as a piano solo in her live concerts, and country singer Garth Brooks also sang this song during concerts in the early to mid 1990s. During Brooks "Live in Central Park" concert, he performed this song as a duet with McLean himself at the end of the concert. The audience, of over 100,000 people, was also invited to sing the chorus near the end of the song.
[edit] Parodies and revisions
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) |
Former Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten played an adapted version of American Pie when opening for Jefferson Starship on August 9, 2005, the tenth anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death. Constanten altered the lyrics to allude to Jerry's death and how he heard the news by a phone call from Bruce Hornsby.
Finnish rock musician Hector (Heikki Harma) made a Finnish cover of the song "American Pie" in 1971, under the name Suomi-Neito (Maid Finland). While the original song covered the American issues, Hector's version was likewise "translated" to deal with the Finnish post WWII history and the loss of innocence in Finnish culture.
"American Diet" ("I'm too heavy for my Chevy; I belong in a sty..."), played on radio stations in Baltimore, MD during the late 1970s and early 80s.[citation needed] "The day the routers died" was written and performed by Gary Feldman at the conclusion of the RIPE 55 meeting.[5]
Since their tour together, McLean and comedy writer Andy Breckman have feuded openly.[6] Breckman tells this story on his 1990 comedy-folk album Don't Get Killed:
| “ | Don McLean and I shared the same manager, so I used to open for him, until one night when I came out on stage and sang "American Pie". Now, I don't know if any of you will ever have the opportunity in your life to open for Don McLean, but it's a mistake. It turns out it's a song that he wants to do. | ” |
On That '70s Show, the character Michael Kelso uses the music of "American Pie" to create a song dedicated to Jackie Burkhart, and later claims that the "American Pie guy" stole the music from him.[citation needed]
In 1998, the Christian parody band ApologetiX released a parody of the song, entitled "Parable Guy", about Jesus' ministries through the use of storytelling.
In 1999, "Weird Al" Yankovic did a Star Wars inspired lyrical adaptation of "American Pie". Entitled "The Saga Begins", the song recounts the whole plot of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace through the eyes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. While McLean gave permission for the parody, he did not make a cameo appearance in its video, despite popular rumour. McLean stated he was very pleased with the parody. He even admits to almost singing Yankovic's lyrics at live shows, due to the fact that his children played the song so often.
In the Futurama Episode The Why of Fry, upon finding themselves trapped in a parallel universe for all eternity a race of alien 'brains' are at a loss for what to do. One brain suggested that they could sing American Pie to which a depressed Fry replied "Go on, I deserve it".
On season 4 on NBC's The Office on the episode "The Chair Model" Michael and Dwight sing American Pie at the cemetery mourning the death of the chair model.
- So bye bye miss chair model lady
- I dreamt that we were married and you treated me nice
- We had lots of kids
- Drinkin' whiskey and rye
- Oh why'd you have to go off and die?
- Why'd you have to go off and die?
The final episode of series 11 of Bremner, Bird and Fortune features a dream sequence sung supposedly by Tony Blair with lyrics referring to New Labour:[citation needed]
- Bye, bye pro-American guy
- Things are heavy with Lord Levy
- And my luck's running dry
- Those history boys will be the ones who decide
- Whether this will be the day the dream dies
Following the news of the retirement of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre in early March 2008, Annette Summersett, a singer/songwriter and ardent Packer fan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, composed a parody called, "The Day That Football Died," which has had more than 225,000 views on YouTube.
- Bye, bye to our No. 1 guy
- I will wear my Brett Favre jersey 'til the day that I die
- We don't want to live without you but we'll just have to try
- This will be the day football died ...
[edit] Chart performance
[edit] Madonna version
"American Pie" was a number-one hit in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia (her first #1 since "Vogue" in 1990), Germany (her first # 1 since "La Isla Bonita" in 1987), Italy, Spain, and Finland. The single was not released commercially in the United States, but it reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 due to strong radio airplay. The song also reached number-one in the United World Chart staying at the top for 8 consecutive weeks and becoming her first song to top the world chart since its debut in 1999.
[edit] Chart positions
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[edit] References
- ^ Howard, Dr. Alan. The Don McLean Story: 1970-1976. Don-McLean.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
- ^ What is Don McLean's song "American Pie" all about?. The Straight Dope (1993-05-14). Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
- ^ a b c Don McLean's American Pie. Don McLean online. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
- ^ Perkins, Adrian. Mott The Hoople track finder. Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter. Adrian Perkins. Retrieved on 2007-12-20. “This 1974 set opener would segue neatly into The Golden Age of Rock n Roll”
- ^ Entry on the RIPE database for "The day the routers died".
- ^ Breckman, Andy. Why I don't play "American Pie" on My Show. WFMU. Don McLean posts a response.
- Karnow, Stanley, Vietnam: A History (1983), ISBN 0-670-74604-5.
- Kissinger Henry, The White House Years (1979), ISBN 0-316-49661-8.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official site
- The Official Website of Don McLean and American Pie provides the songwriter's own biography, lyrics and clues to the song's meaning.
[edit] Interpretations
- Adams, Cecil (1993-05-15). What is Don McLean's song "American Pie" all about?. The Straight Dope. Chicago Reader, Inc.. Archived from the original on 1999-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. An interpretation of the lyrics based on a supposed interview of McLean by DJ Casey Kasem. McLean later confirmed the Buddy Holly reference in a letter to Adams but denied ever speaking to Kasem.
- Dearborn, Bob (2002-08-10). Bob Dearborn's Original Analysis of Don McLean's 1971 Classic "American Pie". This article correlates McLean's biography with the historic events in the song. McLean pointed to a Chicago, Illinois radio disc jockey Bob Dearborn as the partial basis for most mainstream interpretations of "American Pie."
- Fann, Jim. Understanding American Pie. Historically-oriented interpretation of "American Pie". The interpretation was specifically noted on in an archived version of McLean's website page on "American Pie". The material, dated November 2002, includes a recording of Dinah Shore singing "See The USA In Your Chevrolet", and a photograph of Mick Jagger in costume at the Altamont Free Concert with a Hells Angel member in the background.
- Kulawiec, Rich (2001-08-26). FAQ: The Annotated "American Pie". Retrieved on 2007-09-19. FAQ maintained by Rich Kulawiec, started in 1992 and essentially completed in 1997.
- "American Pie — A Rock Epic" A multi-media presentation of Rich Kulawiec's The Annotated "American Pie".
- Levitt, Saul. The Ultimate American Pie Website. Site specifically noted on in an archived version of McLean's website page on "American Pie". The material appears to have been completed in 2003.
- O'Brien, P. (1999-03-03). Understanding the lyrics of American Pie. The Octopus's Garden. Archived from the original on 2002-10-12. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
| Preceded by "Brand New Key" by Melanie |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Don McLean version) January 15, 1972 |
Succeeded by "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green |
| Australian Kent Music Report number one single (Don McLean version) March 6, 1972 - April 2, 1972 |
Succeeded by "Without You" by Nilsson |
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| Preceded by "Bloke" by Chris Franklin |
ARIA (Australia) number one single (Madonna version) March 12, 2000 - March 19, 2000 |
Succeeded by "Bye Bye Bye" by 'N Sync |
| Preceded by "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" by Backstreet Boys |
United World Chart number one single (Madonna version) March 18, 2000 - May 6, 2000 |
Succeeded by "Maria Maria" by Carlos Santana and The Product G&B |
| Preceded by "Pure Shores" by All Saints |
UK number one single (Madonna version) March 5, 2000 - March 11, 2000 |
Succeeded by "Don't Give Up" by Chicane featuring Bryan Adams |
