thebes Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Ok it's a long weekend and things are getting a little scratchy in General so let's try this out to amuse ourselves. Let's work our way through the entire lyrics of that great classic "American Pie" You know, "drove my chevy to". Even though I'm starting this topic I'm kinda embarassed because for the life of me I can't remember the first line. Somebody want to get this going? Oh, PS don't forget to help the twins out up in 2 Channel with a little country music. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space_cowboy Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 You seem to have some free time. Why don't you come paint my house. Just kidding of couse. Waiting for the lyrics.... Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 A long, long time ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 There were two versions. The standard, and "Long Pie." Smile, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 Spaceman, sned me a plane ticket and a large check (ok,ok a ticket and a small paycheck) and I'm there! Go Chuckears. I new somebody would get it rolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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 delivered . . . bad news on the door step. 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. So . . . (We really need a bouncing ball.) Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 Is this the 'drove my Chevy to the Levy" part. Hope so cause I really, really like that part. Am I right? Pick up where Gil left off.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 ...bye, bye, Miss American Pie... Now comes the drove my Chevy to the Levy part. I think an interesting pursuit would be to try and decipher McLean's intent behind some of the lyrics. There used to be whole web-sites devoted to this, but I'm too lazy to find or link to them. I know quite a few of the references, the most important being what "the day the music died" refers to: February 3, 1959... Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 Certain individuals died in a plane crash. Won't name names because, hopefully others will provide the answer. Lyric contiues: And good old boys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Actually, it is simply a song about wanting the old days, less complicated, to live on. Blame this on a plane crash in a winter corn field. I just deleted a long, sensitive, and insighful, diatribe about the early '70s and "The War" and Beatles, and Dylan. I was there. And what I typed was trite. Long Pie is a very nice piece of artistic work. I like it, and take it to heart. Alice's Restaurant is just next to it in mind. Eventually, we all sit on the Group W bench. With "Diseratata" it really is a fine moral statement of our generation. Everyone should have something like it. But so too do other generations. Edith and Archie sing the same thing. It was so much less complicated when we were young. No complications. We morn the loss. The people who made it complicated in modern time have distorted morals or intellect. Politics has mindless inertia and "the marching band refuses to yield." = = = = Bouncing ball sing alongs in movie theaters might come back. It would be better than what we've got. Smile, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I must say I've marginalized the song by comparing it it Edith and Archie. Acually, we have a very personal statement. Perhaps a young man looking at faith, music, and trying to discuss it with a girlfriend. However, it is a diatibe and he should not dump on a young lady; it is more addressed to elders. The song goes: Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above, if the bible tells you so. And 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 cuz I saw you dancin in the gym you both kicked off your shoes and I dig those rhythm and blues. I was a lonely teenage bronkin buck with a pink carnation and a pick up truck but I knew I was out of luck, the day, the music, died. I started singin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 Chuckears: Drop "February 3, 1959" into Google and thats all you need to know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 yeah, but you take the fun out of the memory game by simply looking it up. Forgive me if I've missed the post but I believe we're now taking the Chevy... Took the Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry some good old boys drinking whiskey and rye singing 'this'll be the day that I die' or something similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 If ya get the itch and can't wait anymore, here's the link to Annotated American Pie All lyrics with a discussion of the source of each http://www.fiftiesweb.com/amerpie-1.htm but lets continue our memory game for now. I'm out, I cheated by looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 O.K., O.K. it's the day Buddy Holly died. And I did that without lookin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 OK, this is working from memory, but I'll give it a shot: 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, can Music save your mortal soul, and can you teach me how to dance reeeal sloooow. Well I know that you're in love with him, cause I saw you dancing in the gym You both kicked off your shoes, well I dig those rhythm and bluuuues, I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck with a pink carnation and a pick-up truck, and I knew I was out of luck the Day the Music Died. (Chorus) Now for ten years, we've been on our own, and moss gross fat 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 and a voice that came from you and me, And while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown, the courtroom was adjourned No verdict was returned And while Lennon read a book on Marx, the quartet practiced in the park, And we sang dirges in the dark the Day the Music died... (Chorus) Helter Skelter in the summer swelter, the Byrds flew off with our fallout shelter, Eight Miles High, and falling faaaaast, and landed foul 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, ah but we never got the chance... The Players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield, Do you recall what was revealed the Day the Music Died. (Chorus) In there, we were all in one place, a generation Lost in Space, with no time left to start again... So c'mon Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candle stick, cause fire is the devil's only frieeeend... 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 right, I saw Satan laughing with delight The Day the Music died (Chorus) I met a girl who sang the blues, and I asked her for some happy news, she just smiled and turned away. I went down to the sacred store where I heard the music years before, But the man there said the music wouldn't playayeyay... 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: Bye bye, Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singin this'll be the day that I die, This'll be the day that I die... They were singing: (Once more, all together, the Chorus). ... at least, that's how I remember it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 My brother or sister won the American Pie single in a game at (of all places) church. You know... a 45 RPM record, usually with one song on it; but in the case of this song, it was split between the two sides (the B side starts with "Helter Skelter..."). This was sometime between 1970 and 1972... later, my brother had the LP (the one with McLean's thumb painted Red, White, and Blue, and sticking out at ya), and I was able to enjoy the long version whenever I liked... along with "Vincent", one of my other favorites by him (Don McLean, not my brother, who, as far as I know, has never composed a song in his life). I worship Weird Al's Star Wars Episode One parody... one of the most clever songs from his hysterical catalogue. From the killer beginning (A long, long time ago...) to "may be Vader someday later, but now he's just a small fry...", I consider the song to be better than the movie it parodies. I was well into my twenties before I was clued in on most of the references in the original: My favorite being the take on Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day"... changing it to "This will be the day..." I was only remotely aware of the concert at Altamont (organized by the Rolling Stones, who apparantly wanted to upstage or at least re-create Woodstock) until I was in my teens: the Hell's Angels ("no angel born in...") being hired as security, beating up several concert-goers (killing at least one); the Jagger as Satan references are a little more obvious, being introduced with the Jack Flash lines. Truly one of the hallmark songs of the later Baby Boomers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted September 5, 2004 Author Share Posted September 5, 2004 Chuck, you've got a great memory but the idea was to string it out with people tossing in a line or two until the song was done. Gil, wonderfull posts, I enjoyed reading them very much. Ok let's try this again with a great song from The Band. Remember just a line or two of the actual song and then pass it along: Virgil Cain is the name and I worked on the Danville train..... Heck, let's go for a twofer. Here's the first line from that early rock classic Ballad of Thunder Road: Let me tell the story, I can tell it all About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Speaker Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 Does it go like this? ....a poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin at some food, And up through the ground came a bubblin' crude. Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. Well the first thing you know ol' Jed's a millionaire, Kinfolk said Jed move away from there Said Californy is the place you ought to be So they loaded up the truck and.... BTW thebes, do the twins happen to look like Ellie May? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted September 5, 2004 Share Posted September 5, 2004 thebes, Yes, I understood the intent; if you look at the length of the song, all matter and energy in the universe would have reached a state of entropy that would have eliminated the possibility of an organization of complex molecules necessary for our existence, if it had gone on the way it was going. Sorry, I just couldn't handle it... maybe "Every Breath You Take", or something of similar brevity... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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