Man songs broke it down back in the day... 7minutes... only Kanye still does that lol andd amazing that this was the inspiration fro Wu-Tang's Second Coming!!!!!!!
The Association was given this first..Bones Howe wanted them to do Side-Long version! The group politely said No..they wanted their own songs,Thank You! Bones said,What About Richard" and Jimmy said,"Well,Why not?" so,that's why Richard Harris,an actor who'd couldn't sing,to sing this..The surprising result? a #1 Hit in the US! So much for that he'd couldn't sing!
"Mac Aurthur's Park is melting in the dark, w/the sweet green icing flowing down", is the place, your house, or if you're biblical earth. The green icing being the glue that holds the house together, it's coming apart, or "flowing down"
"Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it, it took so long to bake it" Cake represents the love that was once had, & to get a love to that level, is how long it takes "to bake it"
[part 2] "..and I'll never have that recipe again" represents the heartache of a person scorned, can never love [in that manner] again. The love is destroyed, and the instructions or "recipe" to get love like that once more, will never be had again.
@vegasbaby92 - Thanks for your comment. I personally never cared for symbolism in any form, be it in painting, poetry or music. I feel if you have something to say than just say it so the majority of people can understand what the heck you're talking about! JMHO
I love this song, thanks for posting! No clue what it means but perhaps that's the beauty of it.
American Pie is easy, it just chronicles rock music from the time Buddy Holly died to the time he wrote it, brilliant song. Dylan was the jester and Mick Jagger was Satan, perfect!
Another silly side-memory is KABC-TV in Los Angeles using the music interlude from MacArthur Park as the lead-in to their evening news and also to the "3:30 Movie."
Actually "American Pie" was about McLean's memories of the way he felt the day of the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Big Bopper & Richie Valens (this explains reference to the father -- Big Bopper -- the son -- Richie Valens -- and the holy ghost -- Buddy Holly). The rest of the song is about how he felt rock 'n' roll went after the plane crash -- including his feelings about the Beatles ("the marching band refused to yield") & Rolling Stones.
As far as I'm concerned I will never understand, "MacArthur Park". The fact that the song went to #2 in the charts back in 1968 is rather baffling, unless many of the people who bought records at that time were very high on drugs and didn't care. -:) I have to admit I do still love much better Donna Summer's 1978 disco version of this song (which was a #1 hit the year I started high school). And Summer's "MacArthur Park Suite" anthem is my personal favorite disco song of all time.
Although your "Every man I've ever known LOVES "American Pie" and "Taxi" statement might be true in your instance. But I never really liked American Pie and for awhile I had to turn off the radio or change stations whenever it came on. As far as Taxi goes, you might be right there. I always liked it.
I found this quote regarding the meaning of the song: Jimmy Webb (from Q magazine): "It's clearly about a love affair ending, and the person singing it is using the cake and the rain as a metaphor for that. OK, it may be far out there, and a bit incomprehensible, but I wrote the song at a time in the late 1960s when surrealistic lyrics were the order of the day."
I actually thought the song was about someone abusing drugs and realizing their life was going down the toilet.
ahoy there..advert to look at disk get a grip ..tally ho !!
oldenglishpipesmoker 1 week ago
Man songs broke it down back in the day... 7minutes... only Kanye still does that lol andd amazing that this was the inspiration fro Wu-Tang's Second Coming!!!!!!!
KaarenStyles 4 months ago
I have loved this song for years as well as Richard Harris. Anyone who listens to this and is not moved was born with something missing.
amraymondz60 5 months ago
The Association was given this first..Bones Howe wanted them to do Side-Long version! The group politely said No..they wanted their own songs,Thank You! Bones said,What About Richard" and Jimmy said,"Well,Why not?" so,that's why Richard Harris,an actor who'd couldn't sing,to sing this..The surprising result? a #1 Hit in the US! So much for that he'd couldn't sing!
mrmjb1960 11 months ago
@mrmjb1960 - REALLY? Can you imagine the Association doing this song...I can't! Thanks for the info.
VinylNostalgia 11 months ago
[part 1] Oh my god you guys. It's symbolism....
"Mac Aurthur's Park is melting in the dark, w/the sweet green icing flowing down", is the place, your house, or if you're biblical earth. The green icing being the glue that holds the house together, it's coming apart, or "flowing down"
"Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it, it took so long to bake it" Cake represents the love that was once had, & to get a love to that level, is how long it takes "to bake it"
vegasbaby92 1 year ago
[part 2] "..and I'll never have that recipe again" represents the heartache of a person scorned, can never love [in that manner] again. The love is destroyed, and the instructions or "recipe" to get love like that once more, will never be had again.
vegasbaby92 1 year ago
@vegasbaby92 - Thanks for your comment. I personally never cared for symbolism in any form, be it in painting, poetry or music. I feel if you have something to say than just say it so the majority of people can understand what the heck you're talking about! JMHO
VinylNostalgia 1 year ago
@VinylNostalgia - LOL, understood
vegasbaby92 5 months ago
I love this song, thanks for posting! No clue what it means but perhaps that's the beauty of it.
American Pie is easy, it just chronicles rock music from the time Buddy Holly died to the time he wrote it, brilliant song. Dylan was the jester and Mick Jagger was Satan, perfect!
fethard1 2 years ago 2
Another silly side-memory is KABC-TV in Los Angeles using the music interlude from MacArthur Park as the lead-in to their evening news and also to the "3:30 Movie."
mylittledecoy77 3 years ago
another goodie.!!
cindylevanna 3 years ago
i thought american pie was just random stuff he rembered as a kid
this though i sing the weird al version "jurrassic park" anyway
McDicker96 3 years ago
You might be right, American Pie was definitely random stuff. Thanks for your comment.
David
VinylNostalgia 3 years ago
Actually "American Pie" was about McLean's memories of the way he felt the day of the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Big Bopper & Richie Valens (this explains reference to the father -- Big Bopper -- the son -- Richie Valens -- and the holy ghost -- Buddy Holly). The rest of the song is about how he felt rock 'n' roll went after the plane crash -- including his feelings about the Beatles ("the marching band refused to yield") & Rolling Stones.
Yesimustbestupid 3 years ago
As far as I'm concerned I will never understand, "MacArthur Park". The fact that the song went to #2 in the charts back in 1968 is rather baffling, unless many of the people who bought records at that time were very high on drugs and didn't care. -:) I have to admit I do still love much better Donna Summer's 1978 disco version of this song (which was a #1 hit the year I started high school). And Summer's "MacArthur Park Suite" anthem is my personal favorite disco song of all time.
Yesimustbestupid 3 years ago
A truth: Every man I've ever known LOVES "American Pie" and "Taxi." True?
mrsmagloo 3 years ago
Although your "Every man I've ever known LOVES "American Pie" and "Taxi" statement might be true in your instance. But I never really liked American Pie and for awhile I had to turn off the radio or change stations whenever it came on. As far as Taxi goes, you might be right there. I always liked it.
VinylNostalgia 3 years ago
I found this quote regarding the meaning of the song: Jimmy Webb (from Q magazine): "It's clearly about a love affair ending, and the person singing it is using the cake and the rain as a metaphor for that. OK, it may be far out there, and a bit incomprehensible, but I wrote the song at a time in the late 1960s when surrealistic lyrics were the order of the day."
I actually thought the song was about someone abusing drugs and realizing their life was going down the toilet.
scanman947 3 years ago
jim webb wanted to do a concert with prerecorded music but he had some problems with the musicians union
spacepatrolman 3 years ago
grandioso !!!!
rotesvelles 3 years ago