American Pie

Infobox Single
Name = American Pie


Artist = Don McLean
from Album = American Pie
B-side = Empty Chairs (first release) American Pie part 2 (second release)
Released = October 1971 (first release) November 1971 (second release)
Format = vinyl record
Recorded = May 26, 1971
Genre = Folk rock
Length = 8:33 (LP), 4:11 (Single Part 1), 4:31 (Single Part 2)
Label = United Artists
Writer = Don McLean
Producer = Ed Freeman for The Rainbow Collection, Ltd.
Reviews =
Last single =
This single = "American Pie"- (1971)
Next single = "Vincent"
(1972)"American Pie" is a folk rock song by singer-songwriter Don McLean.

Recorded and released on the "American Pie" album in 1971, the single was a number-one U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972. The song is an abstract story of his life that starts with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash in 1959, and ends in 1970; in the song he called the plane crash "the day the music died". The importance of "American Pie" to America's musical and cultural heritage was recognized by the Songs of the Century education project which listed the song performed by Don McLean as the number five song of the twentieth century. It's also the longest #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit of all time at more than eight and a half minutes, though some Top 40 stations initially played only side 1 of the single, but the song's popularity eventually forced stations to play the entire song.

The song's lyrics are the subject of much curiosity. Although McLean dedicated the "American Pie" album to Buddy Holly, none of the singers in the plane crash are identified by name in the song itself. When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean replied, "It means I never have to work again."cite web | url = http://www.don-mclean.com/articles/play.asp?p=15 | title = The Don McLean Story: 1970-1976 | work = Don-McLean.com | author = Howard, Dr. Alan | accessdate = 2007-06-03 ] Later, he more seriously stated "You will find many 'interpretations' of my lyrics but none of them by me... sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence." [cite web | url = http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html | title = What is Don McLean's song "American Pie" all about? | work = The Straight Dope | date = 1993-05-14 | accessdate = 2007-06-03 ] McLean has generally avoided responding to direct questions about the song, except to acknowledge that he did first learn about Buddy Holly's death while folding newspapers for his paper route on the morning of February 4th, 1959 (referenced in the song with the line "with every paper I deliver"). Despite this, many fans of McLean, amongst others, have attempted an interpretation; most agree that many lines make reference to The Beatles (John Lennon particularly), The Rolling Stones (also, possibly, Mick Jagger in particular), The Byrds, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. At the time of the song's original release in late 1971, many American AM & FM rock radio stations devoted entire shows discussing and debating the song's lyrics, resulting in both controversy and intense listener interest in the song.

"Killing Me Softly" inspiration

Singer Lori Lieberman attended a McLean concert and in describing the experience to songwriters Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, she said he'd "killed her softly." Gimbel and Fox wrote "Killing Me Softly" about Lieberman's experience. The song then became a huge hit for Roberta Flack (and many years later for the Fugees).

This created a unique Grammy coincidence: in 1973 Flack won Record of the Year, beating out "American Pie"; in 1974, she won the same award for a song "about" McLean. Flack and McLean have performed "Killing Me Softly" together in concert at least once.

1980s Music Video

During the rise of their popularity, an after-the-fact Music Video was created for American Pie using the original song as the soundtrack featuring a montage of scenes corresponding to the song's lyrics.

Covers

Madonna version

Infobox Single
Name = American Pie


Artist = Madonna
from Album = The Next Best Thing (OST) and Music (Not U.S.)
Released = February 2000
Format = CD single
Cassette single
7" single
12" maxi single
Recorded = 2000
Genre = Folk rock, soft rock
Length = 4:32
Label = Maverick, Warner Bros.
Writer = Don McLean
Producer = Madonna
William Orbit
Certification =
Australia (Gold)

Austria (Gold)

France (Silver)

Germany (Gold)

Sweden (Platinum)

Switzerland (Gold)

United Kingdom (Gold)

Last single = "Beautiful Stranger"
(1999)
This single = "American Pie"
(2000)
Next single = "Music"
(2000)
Madonna released her cover of the song as a single for the soundtrack to the 2000 film "The Next Best Thing". Madonna's cover however is noted for being much shorter in length (it contains only the beginning of the first verse and all of the second and sixth verses) and for being recorded as a pop-dance song. The music video was shot with the lip-synched audio in 2x speed and was later slowed down to fit the song's wording and to give it that slow-motion effect. The same goes for many videos from her "Ray of Light" album.

oundtrack use

In a scene for "The Next Best Thing", the main character Abbey and her friends attend the funeral of a friend who has died of AIDS. At the funeral they all start singing "American Pie". After shooting this scene Rupert Everett convinced Madonna to record her own version of the song and include it in the soundtrack to the film. The song was then recorded as a dance-pop genre instead of its original pop-rock format. The song was produced by William Orbit and Madonna and it was released as a single in February 2000.

The song was not included in the North American release of the "Music" album, however, it was added as a bonus track on the international releases. In an interview with BBC's Jo Whiley in late 2001, Madonna admitted to regretting that decision saying "a certain record company exec twisted her arm into doing it", because the decision to include "American Pie" in the album "Music" was not self willingly, Madonna decided not to include the song in her second compilation, "GHV2". "American Pie" was the first single released by Madonna during the 2000s, her third decade as a solo artist.

Other straight covers

A few cover versions have been made over the years. The first English language cover version was by The Brady Bunch in 1972, but a Spanish translation sung by voice actor Francisco Colmenero surfaced around Mexico in 1971. A very significant version, also in Spanish, was recorded in 1984 by the nicaraguan singer Hernaldo Zúñiga. (Eduardo Fonseca recorded a cover version of the translation in 2000.) Ska punk band Catch 22 made a ska version which became a staple of their live show, released in several versions. Alternative rock band Killdozer recorded a thrashing, ironic version of the song in 1989. Several disco versions have appeared over the years, and American pop singer Madonna released a cover of the song in 2000.

As heard on "Live", Mott the Hoople opened mid-1970s concerts with singer Ian Hunter performing the first verse on solo piano up to the phrase "the day the music died". Hunter would then add "or did it?", and the full band would segue into the next number.cite web
url = http://www.hunter-mott.com/discography/index_tracks_mth.html
title = Mott The Hoople track finder
accessdate = 2007-12-20
last = Perkins
first = Adrian
work = Mott The Hoople and Ian Hunter
publisher = Adrian Perkins
quote = This 1974 set opener would segue neatly into "The Golden Age of Rock n Roll"]

Tori Amos performed the song often as a piano solo in her live concerts, and country singer Garth Brooks also sang this song during concerts in the early to mid 1990s. During Brooks "Live in Central Park" concert, he performed this song as a duet with McLean himself at the end of the concert. The audience, of over 100,000 people, was also invited to sing the chorus near the end of the song.

Parodies and revisions

Former Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten played an adapted version of "American Pie" when opening for Jefferson Starship on August 9, 2005, the tenth anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death. Constanten altered the lyrics to allude to Jerry's death and how he heard the news by a phone call from Bruce Hornsby. Finnish rock musician Hector (Heikki Harma) made a Finnish cover of the song "American Pie" in 1971, under the name "Suomi-Neito" (Maid Finland). While the original song covered the American issues, Hector's version was likewise "translated" to deal with the Finnish post WWII history and the loss of innocence in Finnish culture.

"American Diet" ("I'm too heavy for my Chevy; I belong in a sty..."), played on radio stations in Baltimore, MD during the late 1970s and early 80s.Fact|date=December 2007 "The day the routers died" was written and performed by Gary Feldman at the conclusion of the RIPE 55 meeting. [ [http://www.ripe.net/whois?searchtext=POEM-RIPE55-SONG Entry on the RIPE database for "The day the routers died".] ]

Since their tour together, McLean and comedy writer Andy Breckman have feuded openly.cite web|title=Why I don't play "American Pie" on My Show|url=http://www.wfmu.org/LCD/andy/americanpie.html|last=Breckman|first=Andy|authorlink=Andy Breckman|publisher=WFMU Don McLean posts a response.] Breckman tells this story on his 1990 comedy-folk album "Don't Get Killed":cquote|Don McLean and I shared the same manager, so I used to open for him, until one night when I came out on stage and sang "American Pie". Now, I don't know if any of you will ever have the opportunity in your life to open for Don McLean, but it's a mistake. It turns out it's a song that "he" wants to do.|15px|15px

On "That '70s Show", the character Michael Kelso uses the music of "American Pie" to create a song dedicated to Jackie Burkhart, and later claims that the "American Pie guy" stole the music from him.Fact|date=December 2007

At the 1984 Yale Law Revue, a satirical show performed by Yale Law Students, a parody entitled "The Year Yale Law School Died" featured entirely reworked lyrics, such as a reference to "The three men I admire least -- Jay Katz, Klevorick and George Priest."

A version of American Pie was adapted in 1997 to the first retirement of NHL legend, Mario Lemieux, entitled "Bye Bye, French-Canadian Guy". It was originally aired on Pittsburgh-based radio station, WDVE. Often, it is wrongfully credited to a Canadian parody band, The Arrogant Worms.

In 1998, the Christian parody band ApologetiX released a parody of the song, entitled "Parable Guy", about Jesus' ministries through the use of storytelling.

In 1999, "Weird Al" Yankovic did a Star Wars inspired lyrical adaptation of "American Pie". Entitled "The Saga Begins", the song recounts the whole plot of "" through the eyes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. While McLean gave permission for the parody, he did not make a cameo appearance in its video, despite popular rumour. McLean stated he was very pleased with the parody. He even admits to almost singing Yankovic's lyrics at live shows, due to the fact that his children played the song so often.Fact|date=September 2008

In the Futurama Episode The Why of Fry, upon finding themselves trapped in a parallel universe for all eternity a race of alien 'brains' are at a loss for what to do. One brain suggested that they could sing American Pie to which a depressed Fry replied "Go on, I deserve it".

On season 4 on NBC's The Office on the episode "The Chair Model" Michael and Dwight sing American Pie at the cemetery mourning the death of the chair model with whom Michael was infatuated.

The final episode of series 11 of "Bremner, Bird and Fortune" features a dream sequence sung supposedly by Tony Blair with lyrics referring to New Labour:Fact|date=December 2007

In an episode of King Of The Hill, Hank remarks that "You never realize how American Pie is seven minutes long until your boss makes you sing it for karaoke."

Seattle radio disc jockey Bob Rivers produced a parody entitled "American Pie Eulogy" in which a singer impersonating Don McLean's voice laments, "Why did Madonna kill American Pie? / Well, it’s tragic, but this classic has been hung out to dry / She might as well have poked a sharp stick in my eye / She’s making all the neighbor dogs cry." [http://www.bobrivers.com/player/lyrics.asp?SongID=519 Bob Rivers Twisted Tunes parody.]

Following the news of the retirement of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre in early March 2008, Annette Summersett, a singer/songwriter and ardent Packer fan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, composed a parody called, " [http://youtube.com/watch?v=caqr2zecCUs The Day That Football Died] ," which has had more than 315,000 views on YouTube.

Chart performance

Madonna version

"American Pie" was a number-one hit in several countries, including Canada, Australia (her first #1 since "Vogue" in 1990), Germany (her first # 1 since "La Isla Bonita" in 1987), Italy, Spain, and Finland. The single was not released commercially in the United States, but it reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 due to strong radio airplay. The song also reached number-one in the United World Chart staying at the top for 8 consecutive weeks and becoming her first song to top the world chart since its debut in 1999.

Chart positions

{| class="wikitable"!align="left"|Chart (2000)!align="left"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles Chart
align="center"|75
-
align="left"|Japanese Oricon International Singles
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart
align="center"|4
-
align="left"|Norwegian VG-lista Singles Chart
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|Philippines Singles Chart
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|South African Singles Chart
align="center"|3
-
align="left"|Spanish Singles Chart
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|UK Singles Chart
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100
align="center"|29
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Adult Contemporary
align="center"|21
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Play
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Latin Pop Airplay
align="center"|40
-
align="left"|U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40
align="center"|8
-
align="left"|United World Chart
align="center"|1

References

*Karnow, Stanley, "Vietnam: A History" (1983), ISBN 0-670-74604-5.
*Kissinger Henry, "The White House Years" (1979), ISBN 0-316-49661-8.

External links

Official site

* [http://www.don-mclean.com The Official Website of Don McLean and American Pie] provides [http://www.don-mclean.com/aboutdon.asp the songwriter's own biography] , [http://www.don-mclean.com/viewsong.asp?id=89 lyrics] and [http://www.don-mclean.com/americanpie.asp clues] to the song's meaning.

Interpretations

*cite web
url = http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html
title = What is Don McLean's song "American Pie" all about?
accessdate = 2007-09-20
last = Adams
first = Cecil
authorlink = Cecil Adams
coauthors =
date = 1993-05-15
work = The Straight Dope
publisher = Chicago Reader, Inc.
archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/19991009050243/http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html
archivedate = 1999-10-09 An interpretation of the lyrics based on a supposed interview of McLean by DJ Casey Kasem. McLean later confirmed the Buddy Holly reference in a letter to Adams but denied ever speaking to Kasem.
*cite web|title=Bob Dearborn's Original Analysis of Don McLean's 1971 Classic "American Pie"|url=http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/pie.html|last=Dearborn|first=Bob|date=2002-08-10 This article correlates McLean's biography with the historic events in the song. McLean pointed to a Chicago, Illinois radio disc jockey Bob Dearborn as the partial basis for most mainstream interpretations of "American Pie."
*cite web|url=http://understandingamericanpie.com|title=Understanding American Pie|last=Fann|first=Jim Historically-oriented interpretation of "American Pie". The interpretation was specifically noted on in an [http://www.don-mclean.com/articles/ archived version] of McLean's website page on "American Pie". The material, dated November 2002, includes a recording of Dinah Shore singing "See The USA In Your Chevrolet", and a photograph of Mick Jagger in costume at the Altamont Free Concert with a Hells Angel member in the background.
** [http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/dinah.htm Full "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" lyrics for Dinah Shore on the "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" (1956 - 1961).]
*cite web
url = http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/american-pie
title = FAQ: The Annotated "American Pie"
accessdate = 2007-09-19
last = Kulawiec
first = Rich
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 2001-08-26 FAQ maintained by Rich Kulawiec, started in 1992 and essentially completed in 1997.
** [http://library.thinkquest.org/18249/compose/apverse1.html "American Pie — A Rock Epic"] A multi-media presentation of Rich Kulawiec's "The Annotated "American Pie".
*cite web|url=http://www.missamericanpie.co.uk|title=The Ultimate American Pie Website|last=Levitt|first=Saul Site specifically noted on in an [http://www.don-mclean.com/articles/ archived version] of McLean's website page on "American Pie". The material appears to have been completed in 2003.
*cite web
url = http://www.rareexception.com/Garden/Pie.php
title = Understanding the lyrics of American Pie
accessdate = 2007-09-19
last = O'Brien
first = P.
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 1999-03-03
work = The Octopus's Garden
archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20021012230502/http://www.rareexception.com/Garden/Pie.php
archivedate = 2002-10-12