Don Maclean
American Pie
Don Maclean
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'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
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
{refrain}
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I'll die
This'll be the day that I'll die
Did you write the Book of Love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
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
Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing
{refrain}
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' 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
Oh, 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 of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singing
{refrain}
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The Byrds 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
But 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
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
We starting singing
{refrain}
Oh, and there we were all in once place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
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 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 rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing
{refrain}
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And 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
{refrain}
They were singing
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I'll die.
One of the several CTY Parodies
found here
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how my parents made me take that test
And I knew if I did my best
I could beat out all the rest
And maybe they'd be happy for awhile
But February made me shiver
I'd watch the postman not deliver
Word about my test scores
I couldn't take it much more
I can't remember if i cried
When the letter came that said that I'd
Be going for a long, long ride
To stay at CTY
So, bye bye, CTY,
The kids are running down the hall, sugar high,
The R.A.s are drinking pink lemonade,
Saying "this'll be the day i get paid, This'll be the day i get paid."
Did you write a poem of love
Or did you look at the skies above
Everyone inducts, you know
And do you think that math is great
Though you can't keep the functions straight
And can you teach me about drama--NO!
Well, I know that you learned history here
And a UN resolution's near
The BACOs ruined their shoes
Walking through primordial ooze
I was a lonely pre-teen genius nerd
With an IQ score that's quite absurd
But I knew all was true I'd heard
I'll stay at CTY
and I'll be singing...
Bye bye, cty,
The kids are running down the hall, sugar high,
The R.A.s are drinking pink lemonade,
saying this'll be the day i get paid, this'll be the day i get paid.
Now for three weeks we've been on our own
And Mom's mad cuz I never phone
But that's not how it used to be
When they brought me here at the end of June
I was thinking I could go home soon
But a voice came and it said "Just wait and see."
And while I was still feeling down
My roomate said "Just look around."
In classrooms we all learned
Then to our dorms we returned
While some kids worried about marks
Some more played frisbee in the park
And others studied in the dark
All day at CTY
And they wre singing...
Bye bye cty, the kids are running down the hall sugar high
the R.A.s are drinking pink lemonade,
saying this'll be the day i get paid, this'll be the day i get paid.
I met a girl I'd seen at lunch
and I asked her if she had a hunch
But she just smiled and turned away
I went to all the other floors
Where I'd heard all the voices days before
But the man there said the students could't stay
And in the classrooms no one screamed
No one laughed and no one dreamed
Not a word was spoken
It's like the place was broken
And the people I'd admired then
Miss Joy, Tim, Mary Clare and Ken
Were last seen leaving in the van
That day at CTY
And they were singing...
Bye bye cty, the kids are running down the hall sugar high
the R.A.s are drinking pink lemonade,
saying this'll be the day i get paid, this'll be the day i get paid.
Bye bye CTY
The kids are running down the hall, sugar high
The R.A.s are drinking pink lemonade
Saying "this'll be the day I get paid."
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