I am just about a week out from leaving the States for 5 months. I’ve been wanting to write about this album for quite some time, so it only feels fitting to touch on it now, in remembrance of my days in the US. Without further ado, let’s dive into American Pie by Don McLean.
That famous, spangled thumb on the cover is ingrained into pretty much everyone’s brains. After its release in 1971, American Pie (the album) has touched the lives of people everywhere. Within 2 weeks of its release, it hit the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart. Inspired by Pete Seeger and the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, many songs are dedicated to remembering the roots of rock and roll, which is clear as day from the first song on the album.
“American Pie,” the 8 minute and 36 second title song can be happily sung word-for-word by the almost anyone ever. My little sister, at the age of 7, would force us to listen to the entire song repeatedly on long drives, hitting every note of every verse. Packing up our rooms at the end of the semester, all of my college roommates would humm along as “American Pie” played in the background. RIAA placed it at number 5 in the Songs of the Century. Additionally, it was the longest song to reach the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, until Taylor Swift released “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” I guess that’s an acceptable substitution, with the only other exception being “Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V).”
“The Day the Music Died” is a well-known reference to the 1959 plane crash killing Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens–the leaders of this early rock and roll era. McLean was a 13-year-old newspaper delivery boy when he read the headlines one morning and saw that his heroes had died. The entire song is filled with allusion after allusion demonstrating the loss of innocence in his generation and a general societal change from the late 50s to the start of the 70s.
So, come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
A line that starts off as a nursery rhyme quickly begins extinguishing that child-like innocence by the end of it. It continues on by referencing a fatal attack at the Altamont Free Concert in 1969, illustrating growing violence and unsteadiness. Pretty much each line has multiple interpretations circling back to events of the time period and takes on American society. McLean has historically not offered his personal interpretations of each lyric, stating “They’re beyond analysis. They’re poetry.” Which is so true. No matter the case, by 2017 the Library of Congress placed the original recording in the National Recording Registry for “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” purposes.
I love when a song paints me a picture–when it takes me through an entire story. That’s why I like Pink Floyd’s discography, movie film scores, and songs like “Stairway to Heaven”–because they pull me through a journey. “American Pie” starts slow and low, switches upbeat, finishes quieter, and never diverges from its core messages. We all already know that it’s a classic. It is a piece of history. And wow, I really need to watch that Paramount documentary, “The Day the Music Died,” to fully appreciate the scope of this song.
Next up, the second most famous song from American Pie: “Vincent.” Talk about a beautiful piece of art.
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
I could listen to that intro forever (it’s even on the front page of this website). McLean wrote this song as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh, “… sympathiz[ing] with Van Gogh’s suicide as a sane comment on an insane world.” The story follows as an outsider watches Vincent struggle under the over-bearing expectations he placed upon himself. Then Vincent finally collapses under this weight and takes his own life. This is probably the most beautifully-written song I’ve ever heard. McLean describes scene after scene with extraordinary illustrations: “Flaming flowers that brightly blaze/Swirling clouds in violet haze.” He stated, “So I sat down with a print of Starry Night and wrote the lyrics out on a paper bag.” I’d say he more-than-properly honored Van Gogh’s life. Tupac Shakur would have agreed. He loved “Vincent” and the song even played in the hospital before he passed away.
The themes throughout each individual song and even the album as a whole shouldn’t distract from McLean’s knack for rhythms. They even have a slightly biblical melody to them (especially “Babylon”). He has a sweet voice, bordering James Taylor, that just adds to the beauty of each song. Some more of my favorites from the album are “Til Tomorrow,” “Winterwood,” “Babylon,” and of course “Empty Chairs.” McLean’s album is timeless. It is in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die… Robert Dimery said it not me. So definitely give it a listen if you’ve got a spare 36 minutes to reflect on rock and roll past.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pie_(Don_McLean_album)
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