Don McLean "American Pie" REACTION Video | we react to American Pie with song lyric analysis

[@geneivie2045]

The 3rd passenger in the plane was Ritchie Valens. The Day the Music Died was February 3, 1959. "the church bells all were broken" is a reference to the lack of a hero's welcome that Vietnam vets received when they came back home: no parades, no church bells, etc.

[@MySerpentine]

Well yeah, they weren't heroes. They were victims of our government.

[@jeffreyk5734]

That's a very good point, but we didn't pull out of Vietman until 1975. This song was released in 1971. I mean there were vets that came home, especially the disabled.

[@alanzlotkowski2695]

@geneivie2045 Nothing in this song refers to the Vietnam; it is entirely about music.

[@ghmonroe9872]

"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" I believe this passage refers to the Altamont Speedway Free Festival. It was a free counterculture rock concert, held on Saturday, December 6, 1969, at the Altamont Speedway outside of Livermore, California. Approximately 300,000 attended and some anticipated that it would be a "Woodstock West". The event is remembered for considerable violence, including the stabbing death of Meredith Hunter. The Rolling Stones who recorded 'Jumping Jack Flash') were the final act before the concert was stopped. Many have said that having the Hell's Angels as security was what led to Hunter's death and the concert turning into such a disaster, that the organizers (The Grateful Dead) never even took the stage. The major violence that led to Hunter's death began as the Stones were playing 'Sympathy For the Devil.'

[@haroldhuddleston6585]

The best reaction ever.. As a retired military veteran the mom’s input was so meaningful and important. Thank you.

[@generationgapreacts]

That means a lot!

[@kimking6036]

Don said The references to the King is not Elvis and Dylan. The girl who sang the blues is not Janice. The reference to the Father, Son, and Holy ghost is just that. He said at the end of the 50's America lost it's innocence. He's talking about things that were happening, like Vietnam war and nuclear weapons. It took him 8 yrs. to finish this song. But it was so worth it. Check out Him singing it with Home Free.

[@plawrence8083]

The verse that contains Jack flash, is clearly a reverence to the Rolling stone and the concert at Altamont speedway. Jumping Jack flash is a stones track. As is sympathy for the devil. The Altamont concert is said to be the gig that destroyed the 60s dream. The Stones employed the Hells Angels as security. There was a great deal of violence and a man was beaten to death. Listen to the verse again and you hear his anger at what happened.

[@jessieball6195]

In February 1959, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens (along with their 21-year old pilot) all died in a plane crash in a snowy field in Iowa. Part of the song is dedicated to that event, but the song also covers other notable events in history (many of them tragedies) such as the Manson murders, ("helter skelter, in a summer swelter')- the murder of Sharon Tate and others happened in August 1969.

[@mikemiller3069]

One of the main references that should have been included is the "this will be the day that I die" line because it is repeated several times and each time it references people singing it. It is a reference to one of Buddy Holly's most famous songs, "That'll Be The Day" in which the main tag line is, "that'll be the day when I die". I also heard somewhere (don't know if it's true) that, "The Levee" was the name of a bar. And "the birds flew off in a fallout shelter; eight miles high and falling fast...." is a reference to the Byrds and their song, "Eight Miles High".

[@maritamcnichol8849]

This song is an Ode to Dylan, Byrds, Buddy Holly, Big Bopper & Richie Valezs. It goes through Joplin, The Beatles, Mick Jagger ect...It is brilliant.

[@maritamcnichol8849]

Yes, he did explain the song.

[@maritamcnichol8849]

NO, That referenced Mick Jagger & Hell's Angels He used them as "concert staff" at a musical event & there was a stamped & the Hells Angels killed some people. There was a tv show at the time called "Lost in Space". He is singing about that. Lennon reading a book of Marx is John Lennon. The girl who sang the blues is Janis Joplin. It was all about music & the times. the 3 men he admired most... father, son & Holy Ghost. That's Buddy, Big Bopper & Richie Valens being sent back to the west coast after the accident.

[@thomastimlin1724]

@@maritamcnichol8849 Lost in Space ran from 1965 to 1968 but everyone knew about the show because they grew up with it. To me a double meaning, " a generation Lost in Space," referring to the space program, astronauts and also being "lost" in the troubles of the day like racism and Civil Rights, Vietnam, etc.

[@maritamcnichol8849]

It could be both.

[@jessieball6195]

@@maritamcnichol8849 you all should know that the line "helter skelter, in a summer swelter..." is a reference to the Manson family murders of Sharon Tate and others in August of 1969.

[@frankaq3951]

Way to go, ladies. I've loved this song for 50 years. Nice to see you appreciate it!

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you Frank! 😃❤️😊

[@LarryCox-e5y]

Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were all killed in plane crash on the Winter Tour near Clear Lake, Iowa. Elvis was in the Army at the time, so these 3 guys were the top recording artists in America and the world, at thta ime...the music literally died. I was a radio child, very hip for age 8..and yeah, I cried. The rest of the song is an homage to pop music...referencing Elvis, Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones & Jagger, the Byrds, etc. Elvis is the King, Dylan the Jester.

[@uncabuzz118]

The song debuted on the album American Pie in October 1971, and was released as a single in December. The song's eight-and-a-half-minute length meant that it could not fit entirely on one side of the 45 RPM record, so United Artists had the first 4:11 taking up the A-side of the record and the final 4:31 the B-side. Radio stations initially played the A-side of the song only, but soon switched to the full album version to satisfy their audiences. Kudos to Baby Gap for her analysis. Good job. For those bean counters out there, Don McLean earns up to $500,000 dollars in royalties from this one song each year.

[@exitscreaming4637]

I'm not sure if I'm a bean counter or not but I appreciated all the information , thank you !

[@thomastimlin1724]

Excellent info to remind people of the boomer age group [me included] how it really was if they forgot, and new listeners to get them the straight story. AM radio still hated long songs at that point, [this one especially] and FM radio was more willing to play the whole thing. Then AM got nervous or something competing for air time and started playing the whole thing lol. DJ's on the air could go to the bathroom and get back in plenty of time lol.

[@uncabuzz118]

@@thomastimlin1724 I was a DJ in the 70's and 80's and during flu season HEY JUDE at 7:11 was a "go to song" if you know what I mean.

[@rosanneturczynskyj7792]

I actually have that 45 record, and yes, I remember having to turn it over to hear the rest of the song.

[@stephenhanft1226]

I'm so glad you did a reaction to "American Pie" by Don McLean. An amazing song. This is one of the greatest songs ever written. A true masterpiece with genius lyrics and storytelling. Don was a kid in the 1950's and he idolized rock legend Buddy Holly. As a 13-year-old newspaper delivery boy, Don was devastated with the news of Buddy Holly's death. This song was a tribute to Buddy. It also takes you on an incredible historical journey from the late 1950's to the early 1970's going through the most turbulent and changing decade in our country's history, the 1960's. Baby Gap, I was so very impressed with your lyrical analysis. Over the years, so many rock historians have tried to analyze the lyrics to American Pie. They would go line by line and ask, "What did Don mean by this sentence." Baby Gap, you really nailed it and got just about everything correct. He did reference The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis, and Janis Joplin in all of the parts that you deciphered. It did reference the Vietnam War and the 50's turning into the 60's and a loss of innocence. Most Importantly, the day the music died was February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens were killed in a plane crash. The only thing you forgot was Ritchie Valens name. He was the youngest of the 3 who died that night. He was only 17 and the first Hispanic rock star. Otherwise, you got everything right in your lyrical analysis on a very special song that has been probably more talked about and analyzed than any other song in the last 50 years. I'm very impressed. Another great Don McLean song for you to check out is "Vincent". This is a song that was a tribute to the legendary Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. It is a very sad but beautiful song so get out the tissues for that one. The song "Vincent" has always been known as Don McLean's other masterpiece.

[@markwilken2492]

The girl who sang the blues was Janis Joplin. I’ll never get sick of this song!

[@Lillian_Ashcroft]

there is also a verse that explains the song better but it was removed from most of the versions of the song. "And there I stood alone and afraid I dropped to my knees and there I prayed And I promised Him everything I could give If only He would make the music live And He promised it would live once more But this time one would equal four And in five years four had come to mourn And the music was reborn"

[@andreim.5324]

Arguably, one of the best written songs in music history.

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

Definitely is

[@ljw5768]

Not arguably, definitely.

[@bennemer489]

I was in junior high when this song came out, and everyone knew the song by heart. My history teacher at the time loved this song and assigned a class project to go line-by-line thru the song and explain what each line meant. So yeah, this song means a lot to me.

[@douglasrussell1432]

James Dean was killed in a car accident in 1955 I believe. The people he refers to alive or dead.

[@coffee-xg6my]

In Momma Gap's defense, remember, at the time many of these songs came out, we didn't have access to online information, posted videos of interviews with the artists that were done years later that we could sit at home and watch on KZbin, or other historical references about rock songs of those times, that we have now. I was a teenager back then and generally, we'd hear songs playing on the radio and maybe we'd go buy the albums (if we had the money) and read the lyrics on the sleeve to get a clearer understanding of the song. But generally, we didn't spend time delving into what was behind all the songs we listened to or were grooving to on the radio playing in the background. We were too busy living life as a teen. And even if we did focus on the listening a little closer to the the more "poetic" lyrics, there may have been a lot of speculation as to the message and what it was talking about. Granted, we all knew pretty much what Don McClean's song "Vincent" was about. That one was kinda obvious if you'd ever heard of Van Gogh, "Starry, starry Night". But the lyrics of some rock songs couldn't be understood anyway, much less what the message was that the songwriter was trying to convey in the sometimes hidden and not so obvious way they wrote them. (Some people are still speculating and debating as to just what the heck the lyrics of "Stairway To Heaven" are about, lol). We were mostly just into the music like a lot of teenagers were. And then you also have artists that say when asked about the lyrics, "Oh, well, I like to just leave it to the listener's imagination to decide what the lyrics are about". John Lennon once admitted that songs like "The Walrus" were just utter nonsense lyrics. He said, let the listeners interpret that one, 'cause he didn't even know. lol. He was just making fun of the way people were always trying to read int the lyrics. He even referenced Bob Dylan's music by saying, he's "getting away with murder" with some of that crap he writes. But anyway, as someone who was also a teenager back then, I'll admit that I'm even just now learning the back story on a lot of those old songs I listened to and the "real" meanings of some of the lyrics now that it's been researched and studied by so many people in the decades subsequent and posted on the internet.

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you user!!! You explained that so well! I agree with everything you said. 😊❤️😃

[@moonbeam2062]

Great points!

[@visaman]

There were music magazines and newspapers (Rolling Stone) that went into great details too.

[@moonbeam2062]

@@visaman But not every 'teenager' living at home with mom and dad (who usually controlled the money and allowances) was going out and buying music magazines. I think the larger point coffee was making is, in addition to a lot of what's known now about many songs and their background, was not confirmed or known about until years later. And there wasn't nearly the comparatively easy or free access to it all that we have now in places like the internet. And also, like he said, teenagers weren't necessarily scrambling to dig up information on songs they were hearing in the radio in those days. So, I get what he's talking about in the bigger picture of knowledge about those songs back when they came out vs nowadays decades later

[@susieq9801]

@@generationgapreacts - The reference to The Byrds (Eight miles high) perhaps referring to drugs. They flew off to the fallout shelters (Cuban missile crisis where we hid under our school desks as if that would save us). Jack Flash (Jumpin' Jack Flash) and the devil (Sympathy for the devil) by the Stones. The girl who sang the blues was Janis Joplin. The sacred music store didn't play the old stuff any more. Music and society in general just didn't create the magic it used to. PS, I second the suggestion to listen to "Vincent".

[@thunderous784]

when you've heard a song before and are now reacting to it you see it in a different light and when you start paying attention to the lyrics you find new meaning and even little tid bits you may have missed before. Don't let people tell you what your doing is wrong, keep doing what you are doing we are all here for that. Keep up the great reactions!

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you, that is so nice of you!

[@espenvippen]

9"American Pie" is a song by Don McLean written in 1971. The song is essentially about "the day the music died", which is the name McLean gave to February 3, 1959, the day Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash

[@festidious2644]

Momma Gap: Thank you for the talk you had after the song. I grew up on an air force base and that was my life for my first 11 years. My father had the privilege of not being required to be moved to other bases during this time and these 11 years were, in a way, the happiest years of my life. I left my memory for the song I picked during the 'memory lane' stream and the city where this air force base was situated is the place I am referencing.

[@arnodobler1096]

Don McLean "American Pie" with Home Free a capella omg 🥹😍

[@johnthegreek5836]

Such a great classic song, will always be listened to for many generations

[@johnbattles1002]

I wrote an essay about this song for my high school English class when I was a senior (1973)! A song of that length and that thematic complexity, symbolism, and riddle-like lyrics was mind-blowing for that era!

[@MySerpentine]

Still is.

[@johnbattles1002]

@@MySerpentine true!

[@daveshep9400]

You should see how well Don's voice has held up. It's easy because he recruited Home Free to re-record with him for the 50th anniversary in 2021 it. Is awesome

[@j.woodbury412]

I've always believed the line "And when the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown, was a reference to the popularity of folk music surpassing the popularity of rock and roll, with "The King" being a reference to Elvis and "The Jester" being a reference to Bob Dylan.

[@JillianDavis-yk8pc]

The jester isn’t a reference to bob dylan. The king isn’t a reference to Elvis. There is a documentary called the day the music died on paramount plus where don mclean explains the lyrics . Don says if it was about Dylan and Elvis he would have used their name.

[@stevejones7093]

Please do "Vincent" by Don Mclean, about Van Gogh, the saddest most beautiful song you'll ever hear. Find the version with the all the van Gogh paintings shown.

[@dranet47]

Definitely love this song. Still makes me tear up a bit after all these years.

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

The line about Maria Elena (Buddy's wife) : "I can't remember if I cried, when I read about his widdowed Bride" always chokes me up, as I have been a Holly fan since I was 14, back in the early 70s

[@dougjohnson4066]

Waylon Jennings was a bass player in Buddy Holly's band he was supposed to be on that flight. He gave up his seat instead. The Byrd's were a rock band in the 60s and they had a song Right Miles High, Bob Dylan, the jester actually had a motorcycle accident that's why he was on the sidelines in a cast. The Stones had a song called Jumping Jack Flash therefore the reference of Jack jumping over the candlestick. ✌️👍🥴🤔

[@ragabashmoon1551]

My mother (who would have been 14 in 1959) once told me she was outside helping my grandmother with hanging up the laundry when her little sister came running out of the house in tears and screaming, telling her that Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens had just died in a plane crash. Also, she too was a military brat, Air Force specifically, stationed at Forbes Field in Topeka, Kansas.

[@robertfindley921]

Great song. Vincent is his masterpiece. One of the most beautiful songs ever written.

[@FreeSpeak]

Football field metaphor about the players was a reference to the guitar players like Jimi Hendrix. It was music you can't dance to. They tried to take over the music, but the Beatles (reference to Sgt. Peppers Album, the marching band), refused to yield.

[@matskarlsson3219]

Hi! Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer - songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song "American Pie" No.1 US hit for 4 weeks in 1972. The song also topped the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. His other hit include "Vincent" (about Vincent van Gogh) "Dreidel" and "Wonderful Baby" as well as his renditions of Roy Orbison´s "Crying" and the Skyliners "Since I Don´t Have You". McLean´s composition "And I Love You So" has been recorded by Elvis Presley, Perry Pomo, Helen Reddy, Glen Cambell and others.

[@douggaijin]

When this song first debuted in 1971, my high school senior English class dissected the meaning as an assignment and class discussion.

[@tomwareham7944]

You don't have to justify yourselves to this old Aussie subscriber , I just love your reactions to the music off my youth . The memories that this period conjures up for me are priceless and I pity anyone who didn't get to experience living in those days of mods and mini skirts , fashion and free love , innocence and insurrections . This song was a reference to the rock singer BUDDY HOLLEY'S death in a plane crash and people have been analysing it since its release all those years ago , whatever interpretation you care to put.on it Is correct as long as you love the song .

[@JM-zb2ip]

Don’t feel bad mom. I’m around your age and even today I’ll see the actual lyrics to a certain song and realize I thought they were saying something different. Like ohhhh I never knew that’s what it said!

[@robertfulton6799]

Loved the song , nice reaction . That said , I can’t help remembering my old school dad , who tried to make literal sense of everything , when he heard the song . He said - don’t make sense . I asked why ? He said he drove the Chevy to levy but the levy was dry - he said the levy is supposed to be dry . Then he said rye is whiskey . Just don’t make sense . Lol . I tried to tell him about rhyme and flow - he wasn’t having it . Oh well . He was my hero anyway . Was a Naval frogman in WWII , 6 foot 4 , and most of all - my dad !

[@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator]

To me, this is the best rock and roll song of all time. It is my favorite song of all time. I've heard the meaning of the lyrics, and agree with the most of the explanations. I was a senior in high school when this came out and it brings back so many memories every time I hear it. Don McLean did an amazing job on the lyrics and vocals on this song. It brought us from the death of Buddy Holly in 1959, then forward 10 years to 1969, to the Beatles and into the psychadelic era, the changing political period, from the Cold War to the Vietnam War, to the Space Race, and to music and religious controversies. It was not only the death of Buddy Holly, but the death of our innocense in the young people of the US. So much meaining in those lyrics! Really enjoyed hearing your reactions and explantion of the meaning of the song. Great job, Momma Gap and Baby Gap!

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you Sue!!! We love your insightful comments, as always! 😃❤️😊

[@bearmanz]

The third artist killed was Ritchie Valens.

[@DanielFrost21]

One of the greatest songs ever written. Based on the 1959 plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, and the overall effect on the music business and society in general. Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on the plane, but gave up his seat to the Big Bopper because the Bopper wasn't feeling well.

[@bones1271]

Waylon told the story about how Buddy was giving him crap about the bus ride.. The bus didn't have any heat and it was the dead of winter... Buddy told him that he hoped he froze his ass off on the bus ride, Waylon came back with I hope your plane crashes... He lived with regret over saying that to Buddy... It ate him alive, he said there wasn't a day that went by that he wished he could of token it back...kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZfEnnVoYrRreK8

[@PeterBuwen]

But that's not all. There is so much more in this song.

[@DanielFrost21]

@@PeterBuwen The comment was designed to be general in nature. I wasn't going to discuss each detail.

[@PeterBuwen]

@@DanielFrost21 Sorry! This should not be a criticism, but only a supplement.

[@DanielFrost21]

@@PeterBuwen It wasn't taken as a criticism. I just wanted to clarify what was intended by the original comment.

[@jwmson7791]

This song chronicles the entire decade of the 60’s. Masterpiece! 💯♥️♥️

[@Cheryltwin2012]

"The day the music died" was a reference to February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly, Richie Valenz and JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed along with their pilot in a plane crash outside Clearlake, Iowa. No one knows how Buddy, who was just 22 years old, might have influenced rock and roll had he lived. There are many references to other singers, Elvis and Bob Dylan mostly, but the Vietnam War is also mentioned. As with other iconic songs of the 60's and 70's, I find it pretty hard to believe that anyone has not heard this song or at least knows what it's about.

[@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator]

I think it is fine that you both have heard a song when you react to it. You bring your thoughts about the songs and lyrics and performances to us. I really enjoy your reactions!

[@generationgapreacts]

Hi Sue, thank you for saying that. You are always so kind. 😃😊❤️

[@54nomore]

I grew up in the decade (1960's) known as "A generation lost in space"-Don McLean. It was a decade of war (Viet Nam) where over 50thousand American servicemen would lose their lives. It was a time of the great space race (Mercury Space project that produced the Appolo 8 Moon Landing 1968). With Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin famous moon walk. It was an intense time in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy faced down Russian president Nikola Krushiv on the Russian missiles park 90 miles away on the island of Cuba pointing at all major cities in America. President Kennedy sent the United States Navy to Blockade Cuba to prevent Russia from shooting off their nuclear tip missiles. Thank God the Russians took the missiles from the island of Cuba and war with Russia never happened. This incident will infamously become known as 'The Missiles of October.' This started the 'Cold War' between Russia (USSR) and the United States. It was also a time of 'Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll' culminating on the grandest rock concert ever bringing the virulent and violent decade of the 1960's 'Woodstock 1969 to an end. It was also a time or Racial Strife, Race Riots and Southern States Jim Crow Laws and its elimination of it by Congress Passing the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. It was also a time when universities and colleges were being shot at by National Guardsmen culminating in the killing of 4 students at Kent State University in Ohio. The 1950's was a decade where 'Father Knows Best' and Rock & Roll 'Music use to make me smile'-Don McLean. It was the Birth of Rock & Roll. On February 3rd, 1959, Rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper aka JP Richadson died in a plane crash...It was the day the music died Don McLean.

[@bella-xp7qd]

McLean wrote the song, much of it biographical, as a reflection of what was happening in America during the 1960s with the assassinations of the Kennedys, Martin Luther King, Jr, and the Vietnam War. For McLean, it started with what he called the end of the happy 50s, the tragic plane crash of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JD “the Big Bopper” Richardson in February of 1959. The day the music died. Although there are many interpretations for the lyrics, McLean cleared the air about one, in particular. In the documentary, McLean notes that his lyrics, "when the jester sang for the king and queen" is not about Elvis Presley or Bob Dylan. Some fans believe that "the jester" referred to Dylan, while "the king" to Presley, but McLean assured that's not the case. There is a documentary on streaming on him explaining the lyrics. Lines drove my chevy to the levy could be about his hometown bar, he got there after last call so he didn't get a drink but the guys were drinking Whiskey and rye.

[@micheleallen]

I am from your mom’s generation and was around when this song came out. I loved this song and knew every word but I didn’t know all the references either.

[@tomenrico6199]

This song was a cultural phenomenon back in 1971/72. Analysis of the lyrics was everywhere. If I remember correctly, McLean was even on the cover of Time magazine, with an article about this song inside.

[@jeffmosteller7175]

Also there was a saying back then As American as Apple Pie and Chevrolet had an ad about the most American things being Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet

[@joshdahl4114]

I feel like this song is a plaintiff cry to Rock N Roll’s first 15 years! I also believe Don said he wrote this song about what was going on politically at the time with what was going on musically. And he wanted to do it as if it were a dream. I think this song was written in either ‘71 or ‘72. Such a great song and I love the album cover!! 🤟🤟🤟

[@janicetrimmell6897]

I think the song is about more than one thing. First, when he referenced the day the music died, it is about when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were in the plane crash. But, the song, to me, is about more than him mourning their passing. To me, it's about the loss of the life he knew in exchange for the political chaos (Vietnam included Mom) and the cultural changes starting in the 1960s. The day the music died seems more like a metaphor to me. My favorite lines are 'Cause the players tried to take the field. The marching band refused to yield." I picture myself on the field refusing to yield. The football players are the adversary here, the band is defending music, or if you extend the metaphor, defending life before the chaos. Being in marching band in high school and college, that's personal to me. Thanks for doing this. You guys can talk all you want. I enjoy hearing your perspective.

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you Janice!

[@rs-ye7kw]

I've always thought the marching band that refused to yield was in reference to the Beatles (remember how they were dressed on the cover of the Sergeant Peppers album) and that they were not ready to give up their #1 spot in music, but I never really have come up with a good theory as to who he was alluding to with the phrase "the players tried to take the field".

[@generationgapreacts]

@@rs-ye7kw Good point!

[@johnbattles1002]

@@rs-ye7kw , could the players taking the field be in reference to other rock groups of the "British invasion" coming to America ("the field"), but the "marching band (Beatles?) refused to yield" (i.e., give up their supremacy as the #1 British group on American soil)? Just a curious thought!

[@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator]

@@johnbattles1002 Good analogy!

[@DarylBaines]

When asked what the song means, Don Mclean famously said: "It means I never have to work again".

[@davidhoward5392]

I was 15 / 16 when this was released one of the great songs, lyrical poetry, Vincent is another epic composition

[@almartin4]

Ladies thank you for some wonderful memories! I am an Air Force brat; my father retired from there after 20 years of service. These events occurred just as I was finishing the final year in high school; ready to graduate in June of 1968. So they have many memories for me. In the early 1970s, when the lady in your life decided you were not up to her standard that became a difficult time for a man. The Vietnam War was still going on and so was the draft of soldiers. Like in previous wars, you had two options: - Wait for the draft and get what they chose for you - Enlist and choose what you would like to do I was lucky and they let me get training then off to Germany, instead of Vietnam. This song was just as popular there as here. Regards

[@normanwallace7658]

The Beatles & the Who were both recording at Abbey Road in a break Townsend & Mc Cartney were talking & Townsend said how they'd like to play somthing Heavey?? McCartney went back & spoke to Lennon & they came up with "Helta-Skelta" The Birth of "HEAVEY METAL" The rest is Music History !!

[@1MadTrucker]

The last verse was in reference to the end of the Summer of Love, and a Rolling Stones concert in Altamonte, California, where the Hell's Angels killed a concert goer. "No Angel Born In Hell Could Break That Satan's Spell, As The Flames Climbed High Into The Night, To Light The Sacrificial Rite, I saw Satan Laughing With Delight, The Day The Music Died". That was the end of the 60's.

[@TangieTown81]

Your analysis is wrong....Don McLean did a 94 min documentary on this song It's called: The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie (2022) For example his lyric saying: "I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck" References his childhood growing up as an asthmatic with bronchial conditions. In this documentary he finally goes through each line in the song and gives his explanation of how he wrote it. "The sacred store" References The House of Music on Main St. in New Rochelle....in New York where he grew up. He got "Bye Bye" from a Pete Seager song in which he sang "Bye Bye My Rosianna" "That'll be the day" he got from the Buddy Holly song who got it from John Wayne. "American pie" is derived from As American as apple pie. "For 10 years we've been on our own" References after his dad died his mom and him having a distant relationship. "And moss grows fat on a rolling stone" refers to him having put on weight and not really looking out for his health. The Jester stealing the King's thorny crown is a reference to Jesus Christ. "Lenon read a book on Marx" References both John Lenon and VI Lenin who were both taken in by Communism. "Eight Miles High" comes from a song by The Byrds. John Whyte had a song Bottle Up and Go where he got the idea of a "forward pass" The whole idea of the marching band represents the government policing of the war protestors and the violence that ensued as well as the military industrial complex. "A generation lost in space" speaks to the moon landing and that we are all alone in the vastness of the Universe and all his generation has is eachother. "The three men I admire most, The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, Well they caught the last train for the coast" Speaks to the loss of our religious morality by saying even God is now corrupted as he makes his way to Los Angeles. More than anything he wanted to give a sense of what people at the end of the 1960's had experienced and so more than anything it is an anthology of life through the 1960's paying homage to those who started the music revolution who died in that infamous plane crash.

[@deanmaynard8256]

Helter Skelter was a Beatles song that Manson thought was a coded message meant for him.

[@generationgapreacts]

Ohhh yes that was it. Thank you!

[@jeffreyk5734]

@@generationgapreacts The more horrific part is Manson's cult members scribbled those words "Helter-Skelter" in their murdered victims Blood. At the time this song was written the Mason trials had to be the news virtually every day. It was only two years after those terrible killings took place.

[@HappyScience-wp8cn]

I would rank this as his number-two song. Number one was Vincent. It was shorter but the most amazing poem in a song that I have ever heard and beautifully sung.

[@Richardtv1968]

Don Mclean’s tribute to Vincent van Gogh is an absolute stunner …… you should definitely listen and react to it!! It is just called “Vincent” and is pure poetry !

[@michaelsheedy9354]

An excellent description of what was going to happen in America. Proven prophetic lyrics.

[@terryhughes7349]

Good analysis. Don never explained the song. I can imagine him as a paper boy delivering the news.

[@alexandrorocca7142]

I appreciate your honesty. Some reactors' claims about not knowing a song are sometimes so preposterous that one can't help but think that this reaction thing is becoming a scam.

[@brotherrandyll4093]

“Jack Flash - Stones song Jumpin’ Jack Flash. I’ve always heard it was referring to the tragedy at the Altamont concert where a man was killed in front of the stage.

[@thedealer777]

The references were intended for "Boomers," as it was played in the early 70s. "The day the the music died was when Buddy .Holly, the 'Big Bopper', and Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash Feb. 3, 1959.

[@steelers6titles]

References A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation--Marty Robbins Eight Miles High--Byrds Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band--Beatles John Lennon Helter Skelter--Beatles Book of Love--Monotones Buddy Holly Jumping Jack Flash--Rolling Stones Lost In Space (CBS TV series, 1965-1968)

[@Eric_L_Laney]

I really enjoyed the conversation between you both in this reaction. I remember a half century ago listening to this song, and being very intrigued by them. Baby Gap, I feel very edumacated after listening to your lyric breakdown, Baby Gap. Very interesting! The 60s were very explosive, and most of that stemmed from the Vietnam War. My mom’s oldest younger brother, only 1 year and 2 weeks younger than Mom, spent over a year in Vietnam, and barely had any contact with his family. He spoke at my mom’s funeral beck on Nov 12, and told stories from his and my mom’s childhood. Great reaction! Thank you!

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you for watching Eric! Is your name different on YT? I know it just had a big change with handles so maybe that’s it. I’m glad you enjoyed my edumacation of the song! Mom has a lot of memories being an ARMY brat during the 60s and 70s so these songs have a lot of meaning for military members during that time. I’m glad to hear your uncle made it back after Vietnam.

[@Eric_L_Laney]

@@generationgapreacts Thank you. His entire career was spent in the Army. He retired as a Sargeant Major. Yes, Eric L Laney is my actual name.

[@Eric_L_Laney]

@@generationgapreacts I must correct myself regarding the handle. Although I display, “Eric L Laney,” there is a user name associated with my channel. It is shniples1. At the time I created the channel a few years back, I was just looking for a nonsense name for user name purposes. I’m going to see if I can change that.

[@MySerpentine]

Whenever I sing along with this I find myself just *spitting* the words 'sweet perfume,' because I always think of this picture of a kid at Kent State throwing a tear gas grenade back at the National Guard.

[@curiousman1672]

Very close to my understanding. I've heard the "flames climb high into the night" lyrics were about the Altamont riot brought about by the Rolling Stone's hiring the Hell's Angels to do security, and the section about the marching band refused to yield was about the hippie movement fighting against the involvement in Vietnam. The ultimate lyrics song. Laden with symbolism. The best. And he wasn't wrong. Great post.

[@johnthegreek5836]

Ladies I completely agree with your approach, I love to hear songs that I’ve heard before but many times in been years and Mom you’re correct as teenagers we didn’t listen to the words ❤️

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you John!!! 😊❤️😃

[@mnomadvfx]

The Beatles recorded and released Helter Skelter (on the 1968 'White' Album) before the Manson family murders took place. Apparently Manson became obsessed with listening to the entire White album and especially that particular song prior to the events he later became infamous for.

[@TucBroder]

Last one was Ritchie Valens, 17-years old at the time of death...So sad. He's famous for the song "La Bamba"

[@raymondsegura8485]

Thanks for your information I never knew that love your responses 😊

[@nathanwymer3060]

I dont know if anyone brought this up but another very famous musician was suppose to be on the flight but was feeling sick so he gave his seat up to Richie Valans and that famous musician was Waylon Jennings.

[@geraldrobinson9904]

The band and football players refer to Kent state shootings

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you for informing us

[@meemermarie1977]

Sometime maybe check out don mclean redoing american pie with accapella group home free. That was released for the 50th aniversay of the song

[@ramontieso1208]

In the mid 60s British rock and role took over. The long hairs were in and the bee bop American musicians were out… a generation lost in space. When the players tried to retake the field, the sergeants refused to yield. Of course the Beatles. Because the Beatles called them selves, Sergeant peppers, lonely heart club band Jack flash set an a candle stick because fire is the devils own friend. This is Mick Jagger. Because he calls himself jumping Jack flash into his song. The birds with the hint, 8 miles high, but then falling fast. That was an American band with the hit, but didn’t last.

[@iche50]

Also from Don, is the great song "Starry Starry night". Also with a great message and an ode to the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. (B.T.W.: Great, great analyse of this great song....!)

[@billshine401]

I applaud your decision to react to songs you've heard before. Still plenty of content to respond to. And yes, we do like your personalities. 😀

[@generationgapreacts]

Awww thanks Bill!

[@vegaswillie]

Just keep doing what you're doing. You have one of the best channels on KZbin

[@williamfox1203]

Don Mclean has done an Accapella version with homefree an acapella group who also did a cover of Elvira with the Oakidge Boys

[@stevedaulton9655]

Hey guys there is a ton to unpack in this song as far as the references and they are easy to miss. I think it needs several hearings and in my opinion, it's a good one to read through the lyrics as well (this song is also great stand-alone Poetry without the music). To think that this came to Don McLean partly as a dream and partly reminiscing about how the music of the 50s was and the big event of the Plane Crash that killed Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens - commonly called the Day the Music Died. I think he wondered how would it have been different if this hadn't happened. Then he touched on much of the music that happened over the next 10 years. It gives several overt references to Buddy Holly - and his biggest Hit That'll Be the Day that I Die (with This will be the Day that I Die in several places of the song). It also hints at Elvis the Bronking Buck, The Byrds, and Eight Miles High their Big Hit, John Lennon (Lennon Read the Book on Marx, Helter Skelter was a Beatles song that was based on the book Helter Skelter that was written about the Manson family murders), and Sgt Peppers was also a significant Beatles album. Janice Joplin is the Lady that Sings the Blues. Bob Dylan is referenced as the Jester who played before the King and Queen in a Coat he Borrowed from James Dean ( Dylan did actually perform before the King and Queen of England in an Older Coat that did look like James Dean's. Of course, James Dean was a part of the 50's Generation too. It's fun how he touches on the references and hints but the listener has to put the lines together. And he puts amazing music to all this with his great voice - not easy at all to do. The Levee and the Good Old Boys I think refers to the Big Bopper( A Big Super Funny Guy) primarily but also Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens the Guys in the Plane but who were also in the band which played their final show at the Surf Ballroom in Minnesota who had a great show there and had drinks after the show. Then the Three decided to take a small plane to the next town in zero-degree weather at 3am in the morning which later crashed due to ice on the wings and killed all three. I think Good Old Boys also references Waylon Jennings who was in Buddy Holly's Band the Crickets who switched places with the Big Bopper and lived and became an amazing country music player. We'll never get an exact reference and there is lots of room to put in your own thoughts and opinions - can't say there is a definitive one. I love that Don Mclean puts so much artistic work in it and gives you clues you have to put together with plenty of room for your own interpretation. It's a great song and the ending where he slows down just gets right to you and especially people that grew up in the 50s and 60s - brings them to tears. Love your review and if I were doing a review I would do it exactly as you did with a few listenings and possibly would have read the lyrics since there is so much to unpack. Most reviewer's have no idea what this song refers to as far as the Day the Music Died or references to other Musicians and Bands of the 50s and 60s. They just throw up their hands and say they don't get it or don't like the music or worse think the song is offensive and it's about drinking - totally wrong. I really like the respect and the research along with the due diligence that you are doing. I know a few things about it that I wanted to help you to fill in the blanks. Once you know some of this the song becomes so impactful. Sorry for going into detail but I am a detail guy. I also love music and love singing and playing the guitar - these are the type of songs I love to play. There is a great Wikipedia write-up of the Day the Music Died that goes into excellent detail with pictures of the crash.

[@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator]

Great break down and explanation! I, too, am a detail person. I tend to get bogged down with details when wirting or explaining things, but it is all in the details!

[@stevedaulton9655]

@@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator I love what you are doing please keep on doing your wonderful and insightful reviews and reactions to music. There is so much out there.

[@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator]

Thanks for the nice comment, Steve, but pretty sure it was meant for Generation Gap. 😀

[@stevedaulton9655]

@@LuckyDawgProductionsModerator Yes

[@sheldakrull1621]

Surf ballroom is in Iowa not Minnesota

[@jacki9966]

I believe The verse "Jack sat on a candlestick" is a reference to the Cuban missile crisis, Jack is John Kennedy

[@rs-ye7kw]

Could be. Because he actually says "Jack Flash" I think it may also be in reference to The Rolling Stones song "Jumping Jack Flash", especially since the next couple of lines include the terms "satan" and "the devil" which could possibly allude to The Stones "Sympathy For the Devil." Just a thought. Your interpretation could indeed be correct.

[@danielnewton4094]

Great reaction. This song is indeed using contemporary musical references to discuss the political and cultural shifts in the USA. It’s also about the songwriters own personal loss of innocence and his own awakening to world events, starting with the day Buddy Holly died. There’s no definitive reading on the text because McClean is using metaphors to reflect both context and subtext in the same lyric, and referring them back to both a personal and national experience. Your mother is correct though. The Vietnam War does weigh heavily in the song, along with the Cold War. For instance:- “Helter skelter in the summer swelter The birds flew off with a fallout shelter Eight miles high and falling fast It landed foul on the grass, the players tried for a forward pass With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.” Ostensibly, this lyric references The Beatles, The Byrds and Bob Dylan, but it also infers to The Cuban Missile Crisis, the Civil Rights movement and the Charles Manson murders, whilst using the metaphor of a ball game. It continues… “Now the halftime 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?” This whole verse is about Vietnam and, more specifically, the draft and how so many young men were sent to fight when they were in the middle of their youth.

[@patrickvanoverbeek1833]

Richie Valens , he was only 17 year old ! he was the third person.

[@pritch999]

one of the greatest songs ever written

[@rickwestic746]

One that I've heard was the king (Elvis)bowing down the jester is a reference to Dylan

[@visaman]

Or Jesus. Elvis said that Jesus was the real King.

[@js3599]

So many interpretations to many meanings of this song. Many misconceptions that Don McLean himself has debunked, or at the very least, denied. For example, he says the King is NOT referring to Elvis... You can find videos on that here on KZbin. Needless to say, most people are wrong about certain parts, and don't even realize it. However, The MOST important interpretation of this song is that while it may be complex, it is simply a GREAT SONG.

[@jamessmith-u7g]

Don Mclean also sings his version of crying which is one of my favorites since you played crying by the originater Roy Orbison!

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

My Father was lifetime career, United States Air Force, I literally spent my entire youth, from my earliest recollections to just a year short of Graduating, living in and around Various Air Force Bases dotted throughout the Country.

[@werjor632]

The song goes about the Aircraft Accident on which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and other Musicians died,

[@williampeterson2909]

The quartet practicing in the park was the Beatles practicing in Candlestick park for their last concert

[@jonathancadorin9714]

My favourite line amongst all the great lines in this song. The three men I admired most. The father, son and the Holy Ghost, they caught the last train to the coast. Definitely referring to his loss of faith as these terrible things are happening

[@blueboy4244]

um: or JFK, MLK, and RFK ??

[@dontresca8009]

@@blueboy4244 Could be both. The beauty of lines like this is that it could have multiple and complex meanings.

[@RobertL.JonesJr-hz8vl]

I remember the first time I heard this song. It was early in the 70s and my cousin Brian listening to his radio and it came on. 😅

[@RossWrock]

Have either of you heard Harry Chapin? A great singer-songwritter of the 70s, but not as popular as others. His biggest hit is "Cats in the Cradle," but a fun set of songs to react to would be "Taxi" and "Sequel." Sequel is figuratively that...a sequel to Taxi about the same themes and people, written almost a decade later. Tragically, Harry's life was taken too short in an auto accident, and the world was robbed of his incredible talent.

[@festidious2644]

I've got my toutou on for this one. I understand the feeling of excitement that the reactor hasn't heard the song. There's something about a 20-30 year old getting to hear and love the music we grew up on. I would love to have the opportunity to see you react to 50 awesome tunes that you definitely haven't heard but this format doesn't allow for it and you don't have the time. I feel that I can only work one in now and then on a live stream. I seem to recall that when American Pie first came on the radio, it was the short version but as it became tremendously popular, they would then always play it in its entirety. Great reaction, girls. Keep playing the good ones. Is American pie different from Canadian pie?

[@generationgapreacts]

Thank you festidious! You crack me up!!! 😃😂❤️

[@apostle6100]

The Candlestick reference was the last Beatles concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco

[@johnbattles1002]

Young Ladies, in my opinion, it is absolutely, perfectly fine for you to do YOUR channel the way YOU BOTH want to do it, regardless of what others think! To the dungeon with the naysayers! LOL! If I were a reactor, I would do the very same thing (a.k.a., songs I've both heard and not heard) to bring MY individual perspective to the song, just like you both are doing. So, kudos to you both for a job always well done in everything I've seen from you thus far! Blessings to you and yours this Christmas Season!

[@thomastimlin1724]

It is amusing to me back in the early days on American Bandstand kids used to rate songs based on whether you could dance to it and maybe remember the chorus. Yet American Pie is so much more than that. By the time it came out, rating songs whether it was danceable or not had virtually disappeared.

[@trishafaulk2067]

Almost everyone has heard at least part of this song because it has been used in movies, TV, and commercials. I've heard all of it and it came out before I was born, but I like the older music. And the third singer was Ritchie Valens he sang La Bamba and Donna among others, they made a movie about his life. (The thing about singer/songwriters who refuse to explain their songs is because they want people to experience the song and interpret the song for themselves. I know that the Bee Gees have said that about most of their songs). I'm not going to bother requesting or suggesting songs anymore if only the patreon people really matter to you.

[@jamespasifull]

Listen to him sing 'Empty Chairs', then analyse THOSE lyrics! Don't forget the Kleenex! 😭😭😭