The Meaning of American Pie

This has been missing on YouTube as of late. So I snagged a copy and am putting it back up. I truly wish that I could provide the creator with credit, but I don't know who it is ... so just enjoy.

Category:

Music

[rebelrose2013]

I grew up with all sorts of music, records all over the house of almost every genre you could imagine, and out of all of them, I have to say this is the saddest song ever written.

It's one of those songs you have to sit down and LISTEN, and you'll feel it's impact.

[TLeemail]

@rebelrose2013 Insightful. For me, it's sad ... but only to a point. I prefer to get lost in the fond memory that the music holds. This song is certainly personal. And I'm glad that you both found it and took the time to let it resonate in your mind.

[slh0997]

I love this song. It has so much meaning, and for McLean to not reveal what it really means, i think the song means more and it adds mystery and more thought. because if the meaning was obvious then everyone would know and not care about it, but since he didn't tell, you definitly have to listen to it and think about it. Who knows who the jester refers to, and who knows who satan refers to. Only him. That probably was his goal. To make people think.

[TLeemail]

@slh0997 Wow. Just saw this after you posting it a year ago. Great points, and I couldn't agree more.

[TLeemail]

@spot4life14 I'm impressed by how many people who weren't even alive when this was recorded have not only found it, but have enjoyed it and ponder it's meaning. It's one thing to disagree and to debate, but rude, adolescent remarks such as yours won't be tolerated here.  And to think that you're actually older than most of these viewers who have bothered to comment speaks volumes. I'll still hold out hope for you.

That being said, my personal take on it is that "Satan" is indeed "Jagger".

[atfatw]

right after the bit about Janis the music wouldn't play refers to the fact large amounts of people preferred to purchase albums by simon and garfunkle and Chicago rock band instead of Janis and Jimi and of course all the fifties rock and rollers and so it did not pay for record companies to make their records anymore lennon reading a (one) book about Karl Marx shows what a dilantant or lightweight he really was.

[jammin6816]

I think that American Pie refers to the lost innocence of America...bye bye American Pie

[RogerHWerner]

I agree that the words of the song are indeed sad. What makes it so extraordinary is that ti takes lyrics that are sad and combines it with a melody and tempo that is incredibly upbeat. I think it is this combination that makes the song so compelling. 

[cnmatl7]

There are sooooooooo many interpretations of this song around. I'm 65 and we we're trying to figure this song out 40 years ago! I wonder if McLean has his secret stored in a vault marked "Open at my death"? We'll just have to wait and see...

Whoever put this together... as an editor I can appreciate all the research and cuts that went into the production. Thanks!

[lorenzo2u]

Thank you for re-posting, this video is a work of historical and poetic genius...perhaps anyone who says otherwise cannot appreciate simple beauty.

[Anarchist866]

1 person hates buddy holly :c

[muclesmarinara]

@TLeemail The Jester must be Bob Dylan because he "sang in a voice that came from you and me"(Bob Dylan was called the voice of a generation)

The jester ended up "on the sidelines in a cast" (Bob Dylan had a bad motorcycle crash and didn't tour or make appearances for quite some time after.)

"As I watched him on the stage/my hands were clenched in fists of rage" could be a reference to Bob Dylan going electric at Newport Folk Festival and abandoning the Folk/protest scene.