Gloomy Don McLean reveals meaning of ‘American Pie’ — and sells lyrics for $1.2 million

The music died because Buddy Holly merely wanted what every touring musician wants: to do laundry.
Shoved into unheated buses on a “Winter Dance Party” tour in 1959, Holly — tired of rattling through the Midwest with dirty clothes — chartered a plane on Feb. 3 to fly from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Fargo, N.D., where he hoped he could make an appointment with a washing machine. Joining him on the plane were Ritchie Valens and, after future country star Waylon Jennings gave up his seat, J.P. Richardson, a.k.a. “the Big Bopper.” Taking off in bad weather with a pilot not certified to do so, the plane crashed, killing everyone aboard. The toll was incalculable: The singers of “Peggy Sue” and “Come On Let’s Go” and “Donna” and “La Bamba” were dead. Holly was just 22; incredibly, Valens was just 17. Rock and roll would never be the same.

Thirteen years later, Don McLean wrote a song about this tragedy: “American Pie,” an 8½-minute epic with an iconic lyric about “the day the music died.” Now, the original 16-page working manuscript of the lyrics has been sold at auction for $1.2 million.
“I thought it would be interesting as I reach age 70 to release this work product on the song American Pie so that anyone who might be interested will learn that this song was not a parlor game,” McLean said in a Christie’s catalogue ahead of the sale. “It was an indescribable photograph of America that I tried to capture in words and music.”
That photograph was always a little bit blurry. At more than 800 words, the meaning of “American Pie” proved elusive even for a generation used to parsing inscrutable Bob Dylan and Beatles lyrics. McLean has said the song was inspired by the 1959 plane crash, but has been cagey about other details.
“People ask me if I left the lyrics open to ambiguity,” McLean said in an early interview, as the Guardian reported. “Of course I did. I wanted to make a whole series of complex statements. The lyrics had to do with the state of society at the time.”
But what state was that? It seemed like the song’s cast of characters — which include a jester, a king, a queen, good ol’ boys drinking whiskey and rye as well as “Miss American Pie” herself — were meant to represent real people. The song includes references to Karl Marx; Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (or, more likely, John Lennon); the Fab Four; the Byrds; James Dean; Charles Manson; the Rolling Stones; the “widowed bride,” Jackie Kennedy; and the Vietnam War.

Left: Don McLean in 1972. Right: McLean in Waterford, N.Y., in 1968. (Photos by AP)

What does it all mean? Just what a song about the day the music died seems like it might be about: the end of the American Dream.
“Basically in ‘American Pie,’ things are heading in the wrong direction,” he told Christie’s, as the Newcastle Herald reported. “It is becoming less idyllic. I don’t know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense.”
As ideals of the 1960s turned into the cynicism of the 1970s, this feeling was widespread enough to send the song to No. 1 in 1972.
“American Pie is the accessible farewell to the Fifties and Sixties,” Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis wrote in the catalogue. “Bob Dylan talked to the counterculture in dense, cryptic, apocalyptic terms. But Don McLean says similar ominous things in a pop language that a mainstream listener could understand. The chorus is so good that it lets you wallow in the confusion and wistfulness of that moment, and be comforted at the same time. It’s bubblegum Dylan, really.” (Perhaps of note: Dylan’s manuscript of “Like a Rolling Stone” sold for $2 million in June, besting McLean’s measly $1.2 million.)
Forty-four years after “American Pie’s” release, McLean, 69, wasn’t much more positive about the state of the world than he was a generation ago.
“I was around in 1970 and now I am around in 2015,” McLean said, as People Magazine reported. “There is no poetry and very little romance in anything anymore, so it is really like the last phase of ‘American Pie.’ ”
Nor was there romance in McLean’s decision to sell the manuscript. He did it for the dough.
“I’m going to be 70 this year,” he told Rolling Stone. “I have two children and a wife, and none of them seem to have the mercantile instinct. I want to get the best deal that I can for them. It’s time.”
Ahead of the Christie’s auction, McLean did offer some advice to all the budding Don McLeans out here.
“I would say to young songwriters who are starting out to immerse yourself in beautiful music and beautiful lyrics and think about every word you say in a song,” he said.
Here are the words of “American Pie” as transcribed by azlyrics.com, the savior of cover bands everywhere. (Note: AZ creatively transcribes what many hear as “whiskey and rye” as “whiskey in Rye.”)
[Intro]
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
[Chorus]
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”
[Verse 1]
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 and 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 dancin’ 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
[Chorus]
I started singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”
[Verse 2]
Now for 10 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 Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
[Chorus]
We were singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”
[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds 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
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime 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?
[Chorus]
We started singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
And singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”
[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one 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 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 rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
And singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”
[Outro]
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 singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”
[Chorus]
They were singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
And singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die”

Justin Wm. Moyer is a reporter for The Washington Post's Morning Mix. Follow him on Twitter: @justinwmmoyer.

Last Chance to Talk about Himself and Anger America

Obama’s last State of the Union will try to counter electorate’s anger

www.washingtonpost.com

President Obama will deliver his last State of the Union address Tuesday at a moment when fear and anger seem to be driving both the American electorate and the candidates seeking to replace him in the White House.

His challenge? Communicate a message big enough to rise above the election-season vitriol.

To that end, the White House has promised a “non-traditional” speech that, in the president’s words, will cut through the “day-to-day noise of Washington” and celebrate the country’s capacity “to come together as one American family.” Instead of a to-do list of policy proposals that have little chance of passing Congress, he has said he plans to deliver a speech that will describe “who we are” as a nation — or perhaps more accurately, whom Obama, in the last year of his presidency, would like us to be.

The problem for the president in his seventh year in office is that the gulf between his vision of a unified America, one he has trumpeted from his earliest days on the national scene, and the political reality has never seemed wider. This final address from the House chamber represents one of his last, best chances to frame the November election.

On issues including guns, immigration reform and Middle Eastern refugees, Obama faces a deeply divided American public. Some of his signature political victories from 2015, such as the Iran nuclear deal and the opening to Cuba, have provoked a fierce Republican backlash.

From Eisenhower to Obama, presidents seem to have a penchant for some of the same lines in their State of the Union addresses. Whether war or taxes or health care, there are themes that repeat again and again. Take a look back at almost 60 years of history in a little over two minutes. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

The divide is perhaps deepest on issues of war and terrorism, which are likely to dominate Obama’s last year in office as well as the upcoming election.

“We all expected to be in a different place, and we’re not,” said Julianne Smith, a former Obama White House official and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Obama, his speechwriters and his national security team were still working on drafts of the speech last week and over the weekend, White House officials said.

In the battle against the Islamic State, Obama has struggled to balance intense fear of terrorism after last fall’s attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., with his conviction that there are no fast fixes to the problems in Iraq or Syria. The Islamic State occupies parts of both countries.

The United States is counting on local forces, backed by U.S. air power, to slowly take territory from Islamic State fighters. A bolstered counterterrorism effort will seek in the coming months to kill the group’s senior leaders through drone strikes and raids, officials say.

Only a year ago, Obama used his State of the Union address to declare the end of an era marked by 15 years of terrorism and continuous war. “Tonight we turn the page,” the president began last January. “. . . Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over.”

President Obama waves before giving his State of the Union address on Jan. 20, 2015. Obama will deliver his final State of the Union speech Tuesday. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Today there are fewer than 15,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, down from a high of 180,000 when Obama took office. But the president’s “turn the page” metaphor already seems dated. In the past few weeks, seven American troops have been killed in Afghanistan, and the president’s top commander there has said he does not think further cuts to the current force of 9,800 U.S. troops are realistic anytime soon.

The effort to defeat the Islamic State will be “an overarching focus to everything we do around the world this year,” Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to Obama, told reporters this month.

The president has struggled of late to calibrate his remarks to match the country’s mood. “So much of his legacy was built around ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Smith said.

Obama has responded with a campaign that emphasizes the limits of American power to repair the Middle East and seeks to keep U.S. forces from being drawn too deeply into chaotic quagmires. The president’s approach has provoked heavy criticism from Republicans, who are promising more bombs and tighter restrictions on Muslim refugees.

“We will carpet-bomb them into oblivion,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), describing his plan for the Islamic State. “I don’t know if sand can glow in the dark, but we’re going to find out.”

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump has proposed a temporary ban on all Muslim immigrants to the United States.

Obama initially mocked the heated Republican rhetoric as fearful, weak and politically craven. “When candidates say we wouldn’t admit 3-year-old orphans — that’s political posturing,” he said in November.

A few weeks later, in a prime-time addressto the nation, the president took a different course.

“The threat from terrorism is real,” he acknowledged. “But we will overcome it. Our success won’t depend on tough talk or abandoning our values or giving in to fear.”

The State of the Union offers Obama another chance to make his case that the United States is strong and secure enough to stay the course and stick to its values.

But it also presents him a huge political opportunity to talk to the country about what kind of person should replace him. The worry among establishment Republicans is that Obama will seize upon remarks by candidates like Trump to discredit the party.

“I suspect he’ll be very tempted to paint the entire party with a broad brush as anti-immigrant, rather than seek out common ground,” said Michael Green, a former George W. Bush White House official and a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Obama faces a similar challenge on domestic issues such as gun violence, and he has sought to appeal to universal American values.

“The majority of people in this country are a lot more sensible than what you see in Washington,” Obama said at a CNN town hall meeting on the gun issue last week. He derided the capital and Congress as places where “the loudest, shrillest voices” dominate.

At the State of the Union, the president will use silence to make his case. The White House said it will leave one seat empty in the first lady’s guest box to highlight the toll of gun violence on the country.

On no issue has the country’s growing division been more shocking to the White House than on immigration. The president once hoped to find common ground with Republicans on the matter.

He gave up on Congress in late 2014, issuing an executive order that would defer the deportation of up to 5 million illegal immigrants, most of them parents of U.S. citizens and those who arrived illegally as children.

Republicans immediately denounced him as an “imperial president.” Texas and 25 other states sued to block the program, which has yet to enroll a single person as the two sides fight it out in federal court.

Since then, the immigration debate has veered sharply to the right. Trump vaulted to the top of Republican polls in June after he suggested that most Mexican immigrants are “rapists,” “drug dealers” and “killers,” and promised to deport all 11 million illegal immigrants and erect a wall to keep them out.

Obama, meanwhile, has tried to make the case that new immigrants are an essential part of the American story. In December, the president presided over a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives for immigrants from 25 countries.

“In these new Americans we see our own American stories — our parents, our grandparents, our aunts, our uncles, our cousins,” Obama said. “. . . They set out for a place that was more than just a piece of land, but an idea: America — a place where we can be a part of something bigger.”

The December address did not resonate much amid the clamor of an increasingly loud, divisive and angry presidential campaign. The State of the Union gives Obama a chance to command a much bigger audience on what aides called “the grandest stage in all of American politics.”

In the days after his speech, the president will travel deep into the Republican heartland. In Omaha and then in Baton Rouge, he plans to continue to make his case, betting that in even the reddest of states, he will find people who are willing to listen.

COMMENTS

'I am not your peasant... I will NOT be disarmed:'

Marine's scathing letter to U.S. senator over her proposed ban on assault weapons goes viral

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 18:51 EST, 3 January 2013 | UPDATED: 13:37 EST, 4 January 2013 
 

A scathing letter written by a Marine veteran blasting a proposed ban on assault weapons has gone viral online.
Cpl. Joshua Boston wrote the letter to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, who proposed the bill banning certain firearms and requiring gun owners to register their weapons.
'I am a Marine Corps veteran of eight years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one,' he writes in the letter.
'I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.'

Anger: U.S. Marine Corporal Joshua Boston's letter to Senator Diane Feinstein telling her that he will not comply with her proposed legislation to ban assault weapons has gone viral

Boston was first deployed to Afghanistan from 2004 to 2005 and spent a total of eight years oversees serving as a Marine. He admits he owns guns - 'a hobby if you will', he writes on one blog.
In his letter, which has been shared across social media sites since it was posted on CNN iReport, he argues the bill would lead to the government confiscating weapons - a move he deems a threat.

 

More...

• Record gun sales at Virginia weapons show as families ‘stock up’ on arms after Sandy Hook massacre
• Hypocrisy of the anti-gun Hollywood stars: Hilarious YouTube video reveals the bloody roles filmed by celebrities now calling for gun control
• Teachers trained to use guns in classroom: American school tutors get free weapons lessons ‘to protect pupils' after Sandy Hook massacre

'I own the guns I own because I acknowledge mankind's shortcomings instead of pretending like they don't exist,' he told CNN. 'There are evil men in this world and there just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable to protect me or my family.'
In the letter, he tells Feinstein: 'You ma'am have overstepped a line that is not your domain.'

In the letter, he tells Feinstein, (D-CA) (pictured) 'You ma'am have overstepped a line that is not your domain'

'I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public,' he writes, adding, 'We, the people, deserve better than you.'
The letter was posted on CNN iReport on December 27 and has since been shared extensively on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
On Twitter, a user named Mid Stutsman provided a link to the letter and wrote, 'Go Joshua Boston...Semper Fi! U.S. Marine’s Scathing Response to Sen. Feinstein’s Gun Control Proposal.'
Twitter user @LaTicaChica added: 'Doesn't get any better that that! Big fist pump, three cheers, etc. for Joshua Boston's verbal smack down with the TRUTH!'
Feinstein's bill names 120 specific firearms she seeks the country to ban, import and manufacture, as well as other semiautomiatic rifle, handguns and shotguns that have more military characteristics.

Defiant: Boston (left) served in Afghanistan from 2004 until 2005 and in 2011, and says he owns guns, right

Love: He has called guns his 'hobby' and said he may one day need them to protect his family

At work: Boston (left) talks to an Afghani man during a patrol in Sistani, Helmand Province in 2011

It also bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices accepting more than 10 rounds.

Yet it seeks protection for legitimate hunters and gun owners by allowing more than 900 weapons used for sport and those that are antique and manually operated.
Cpl. Boston's reference to Feinstein carrying a weapon may be a reference to her desire to outlaw handgun ownership while admitting she carries one herself, for protection.
This latest debate over gun ownership was sparked by the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where six staff and 20 children were shot dead.

Wading in: CNN host Piers Morgan outraged thousands of Americans for his tough stance on gun control

CNN host Piers Morgan has taken one of the toughest stances on gun control, even calling one pro-gun campaigner an 'unbelievably stupid man' after he said more guns would cut crime.
His comments have led to more than 100,000 people signing a petition to get the British host deported from the United States, claiming he has undermined the 'rights of Americans'.
More than 30,000 people die from gun injuries each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gun injuries account for nearly 1 in 5 injury deaths in the U.S.

'YOU MA'AM HAVE OVERSTEPPED A LINE': JOSHUA BOSTON'S LETTER

Senator Dianne Feinstein,

I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government’s right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime.

You ma’am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.

I am not your subject. I am the man who keeps you free. I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.

I am the man who fought for my country. I am the man who learned. I am an American. You will not tell me that I must register my semi-automatic AR-15 because of the actions of some evil man.

I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public.

We, the people, deserve better than you.

Respectfully Submitted,

Joshua Boston

Cpl, United States Marine Corps

2004-2012

Baby Holding Gun Learning to save America

Saving one American at at time..

NOKIA Phone Not Connecting to Computer FIXED MS Problem Fixed

Yes you will not believe that MS is a complete Joke and the secret fix to connecting you nokia phone to your computer. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE USB CORD SUPPLIED.  You cannot just use any USB cord to plug your Windows Nokia Phone into your computer. 

 1. Remove the back cover from your phone.
 2. Plug your phone into the computer via usb.
 3. Turn the computer on and make sure your phone is on as well.
 4. remove the battery from the phone - do not disconnect from the computer.
 5. Wait for 25 seconds and then put the battery back in.
 6. Go to the start button and click on 'Computer'
 7. Your phone is listed right next to the 'C' drive and should say 'Nokia'  

BOOM !!! NOW YOU ARE CONNECTED !!!

Duck Dynasty Is Back

We Did It! A&E Reinstates Phil Robertson to Duck Dynasty! View this email in your browser Together, we did it! In response to the massive outpouring of support from hundreds of thousands of Faith Driven Consumers just like you, A&E Network announced hours ago that it is reinstating Phil Robertson to the helm of Duck Dynasty. You made this happen, and we are so very thankful for your tireless efforts! But, we also want to send you a note of caution, because we are not assured at this moment that A&E has actually heard us. Their statement to The Hollywood Reporter left many unanswered questions. We have included below the IStandWithPhil.com statement released to the media moments ago, which expresses our concerns about today’s events: IStandWithPhil.com

Applauds Return of Phil Robertson, Remains Deeply Concerned Over Unanswered Questions Does A&E's latest call for tolerance and inclusion reflect and embrace the biblically based values of the Robertson family and millions of Faith Driven Consumers? (Raleigh, NC – December 27, 2013) — Faith Driven Consumer, the organization behind the widely publicized IStandWithPhil.com petition drive, with more than 260,000 supporters signing on in one week, has issued the following statement regarding the A&E Network's decision to reinstate Phil Robertson to Duck Dynasty. This statement can be attributed to Chris Stone, founder of Faith Driven Consumer: “Today’s decision by A&E to reinstate Phil Robertson to Duck Dynasty is in direct response to the powerful and engaged voices of millions of Faith Driven Consumers, as highlighted by more than 260,000 signers of the IStandWithPhil.com petition.

 “However, the question remains, has the Faith Driven Consumer community truly been heard? “Despite our celebration, we remain uncertain of A&E's true intent. Today, in the network’s statement of their core values – centered on ‘creativity, inclusion, and mutual respect’ - Faith Driven Consumers are left wondering whether A&E considers us to be a part of America's rich rainbow of diversity. “Do they also now embrace the biblically based values and worldview held by the Robertson family and millions of Faith Driven Consumers? “Did the network’s engagement and consultation with 'numerous advocacy groups’ include Faith Driven Consumers? We eagerly anticipate A&E’s naming of those groups to ensure that our community was included. “Faith Driven Consumers will remain vigilant as we measure whether A&E’s actions reflect true tolerance, diversity, and mutual respect – including their equal embrace of our biblically based values and deeply held beliefs.” Thank you for all you have done, we’ll keep you informed as this situation develops. Blessings, Chris Stone Founder Faith Driven Consumer Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Email Email

Shut Up White Lady! Steve Harvey Tells Off 'Black Zombie' Contestant Family Feud

WOW LMAFO>>>>>

 

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