Biography:
Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1971 hit song "American Pie", an 8.5-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation (US #1 for four weeks in 1972 and UK #2).
McLean's grandfather and father, both also named Donald McLean, had roots originating in Scotland. The Buccis, the family of McLean's mother, Elizabeth, came from Abruzzo in central Italy.
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Other songs:
- American Pie
- And I Love You So
- Babylon
- Castles In The Air
- Crossroads
- Crying
- Empty Chairs
- Magdalene Lane
- Since I Don't Have You
- Vincent
- Vincent (starry Starry Night)
- Vincent (starry, Starry Night)
- Birthday Song
- Bronco Bills Lament
- Chain Lightning
- Dreidel
- Every Day
- Everybody Loves Me Baby
- Flight Of Dragons
- Going For The Gold
- Great Big Man
- Homeless Brother
- If I Only Had A Match
- Jerusalem
- La La I Love You
- Legend Of Andrew Mccrew
- Mountains O Mourne
- Oh My What A Shame
- On The Amazon
- Orphans Of Wealth
- Prime Time
- Respectable
- Since I Dont Have You
- The Grave
- The More You Pay
- The Pride Parade
- Till Tomorrow
- When Love Begins
- Winter Has Me In Its Grip
- Winterwood
- Wonderful Baby
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Tabbed By J Brown
Full Song 100% Correct
Chords:
E A D G B E
G 3 2 0 0 0 3
D/F# 2 0 0 2 3 2
Em 0 2 2 0 0 0
Am 0 0 2 2 1 0
C 0 3 2 0 1 0
D 0 0 0 2 3 2
Dsus 0 0 0 2 3 3
D(9) 0 0 0 2 3 0
A7 0 0 2 0 2 0
C/B 0 2 0 0 1 0
Am7 0 0 2 0 1 0
Verse 1/Intro
G D/F# Em
A long, long time ago...
Am C
I can still remember
Em D Dsus D D(9) D
How that music used to make me smile.
G D/F# Em
And I knew if I had my chance
Am C
That I could make those people dance
Em A7 D Dsus D D(9) D
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.
Em Am
But february made me shiver
Em Am
With every paper I’d deliver.
C C/B Am
Bad news on the doorstep;
C D
I couldn’t take one more step.
G D/F# Em
I can’t remember if I cried
C D
When I read about his widowed bride,
G D/F# Em
But something touched me deep inside
C D G
The day the music died.
Chorus
G C G D
So bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 2
G Am7
Did you write the book of love,
C C/B Am7
And do you have faith in God above,
Em D D Dsus D D(9) D
If the Bible tells you so?
G D/F# Em
Do you believe in rock ’n roll,
Am7 C
Can music save your mortal soul,
Em A7 D
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Em D
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
Em D
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
C C/B Am7
You both kicked off your shoes.
C D
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.
G D/F# Em
I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
C D
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
G D/F# Em
But I knew I was out of luck
C D G C
The day the music died.
Chorus
G D
I started singin’,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 3
G Am7
Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
C C/B Am
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone,
Em D
But that’s not how it used to be.
G D/F# Em
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
Am7 C
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
Em A7 D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
And a voice that came from you and me,
Verse 4
Em D
Oh, and while the king was looking down,
Em D
The jester stole his thorny crown.
C C/B Am
The courtroom was adjourned;
C D
No verdict was returned.
G D/F# Em
And while Lennon read a book on Marx,
C D
The quartet kept practice in the park,
G D/F# Em
And we sang dirges in the dark
C D G C
The day the music died.
Chorus
G D
We were singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 5
G Am7
Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
C C/B Am
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Em D
Eight miles high and falling fast.
G D/F# Em
It landed foul on the grass.
Am7 C
The players tried for a forward pass,
Em A7 D Dsus D D(9) D
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.
Verse 6
Em D
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
Em D
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
C C/B Am
We all got up to dance,
C D
Oh, but we never got the chance!
G D/F# Em
As the players tried to take the field;
C D
The marching band refused to yield.
G D/F# Em
Do you recall what was revealed
C D G C
The day the music died?
Chorus
G D
We started singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 7
G Am7
Oh, and there we were all in one place,
C C/B Am
A generation lost in space
Em D
With no time left to start again.
G D/F# Em
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Am7 C
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Em A7 D Dsus D D(9) D
Cause fire is the devil’s only friend.
Verse 8
Em D
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
Em D
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
C C/B Am
No angel born in hell
C D
Could break that satan’s spell.
G D/F# Em
And as the flames climbed high into the night
C D
To Fight the sacrificial lite,
G D/F# Em
I saw satan laughing with delight
C D G C
The day the music died
Chorus
G D
He was singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 9
G D/F# Em
I met a girl who sang the blues
Am7 C
And I asked her for some happy news,
Em D Dsus D D(9) D
But she just smiled and turned away.
G D/F# Em
I went down to the sacred store
Am7 C
Where I’d heard the music years before,
Am7 C D Dsus D D(9) D
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.
Verse 10
Em Am
And in the streets: the children screamed,
Em Am
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
C C/B Am7
But not a word was spoken;
C D
The church bells all were broken.
G D/F# Em
And the three men I admire most:
C D
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
G D/F# Em
They caught the last train for the coast
C D
The day the music died.
Chorus
And they were singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Chorus/Outro
G D
they were singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
C D G
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
C D G
"this’ll be the day that I die."
C G
Full Song 100% Correct
Chords:
E A D G B E
G 3 2 0 0 0 3
D/F# 2 0 0 2 3 2
Em 0 2 2 0 0 0
Am 0 0 2 2 1 0
C 0 3 2 0 1 0
D 0 0 0 2 3 2
Dsus 0 0 0 2 3 3
D(9) 0 0 0 2 3 0
A7 0 0 2 0 2 0
C/B 0 2 0 0 1 0
Am7 0 0 2 0 1 0
Verse 1/Intro
G D/F# Em
A long, long time ago...
Am C
I can still remember
Em D Dsus D D(9) D
How that music used to make me smile.
G D/F# Em
And I knew if I had my chance
Am C
That I could make those people dance
Em A7 D Dsus D D(9) D
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.
Em Am
But february made me shiver
Em Am
With every paper I’d deliver.
C C/B Am
Bad news on the doorstep;
C D
I couldn’t take one more step.
G D/F# Em
I can’t remember if I cried
C D
When I read about his widowed bride,
G D/F# Em
But something touched me deep inside
C D G
The day the music died.
Chorus
G C G D
So bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 2
G Am7
Did you write the book of love,
C C/B Am7
And do you have faith in God above,
Em D D Dsus D D(9) D
If the Bible tells you so?
G D/F# Em
Do you believe in rock ’n roll,
Am7 C
Can music save your mortal soul,
Em A7 D
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Em D
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
Em D
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
C C/B Am7
You both kicked off your shoes.
C D
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.
G D/F# Em
I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
C D
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
G D/F# Em
But I knew I was out of luck
C D G C
The day the music died.
Chorus
G D
I started singin’,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 3
G Am7
Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
C C/B Am
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone,
Em D
But that’s not how it used to be.
G D/F# Em
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
Am7 C
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
Em A7 D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
And a voice that came from you and me,
Verse 4
Em D
Oh, and while the king was looking down,
Em D
The jester stole his thorny crown.
C C/B Am
The courtroom was adjourned;
C D
No verdict was returned.
G D/F# Em
And while Lennon read a book on Marx,
C D
The quartet kept practice in the park,
G D/F# Em
And we sang dirges in the dark
C D G C
The day the music died.
Chorus
G D
We were singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 5
G Am7
Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
C C/B Am
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Em D
Eight miles high and falling fast.
G D/F# Em
It landed foul on the grass.
Am7 C
The players tried for a forward pass,
Em A7 D Dsus D D(9) D
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.
Verse 6
Em D
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
Em D
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
C C/B Am
We all got up to dance,
C D
Oh, but we never got the chance!
G D/F# Em
As the players tried to take the field;
C D
The marching band refused to yield.
G D/F# Em
Do you recall what was revealed
C D G C
The day the music died?
Chorus
G D
We started singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D(9) D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 7
G Am7
Oh, and there we were all in one place,
C C/B Am
A generation lost in space
Em D
With no time left to start again.
G D/F# Em
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Am7 C
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Em A7 D Dsus D D(9) D
Cause fire is the devil’s only friend.
Verse 8
Em D
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
Em D
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
C C/B Am
No angel born in hell
C D
Could break that satan’s spell.
G D/F# Em
And as the flames climbed high into the night
C D
To Fight the sacrificial lite,
G D/F# Em
I saw satan laughing with delight
C D G C
The day the music died
Chorus
G D
He was singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
And Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Verse 9
G D/F# Em
I met a girl who sang the blues
Am7 C
And I asked her for some happy news,
Em D Dsus D D(9) D
But she just smiled and turned away.
G D/F# Em
I went down to the sacred store
Am7 C
Where I’d heard the music years before,
Am7 C D Dsus D D(9) D
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.
Verse 10
Em Am
And in the streets: the children screamed,
Em Am
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
C C/B Am7
But not a word was spoken;
C D
The church bells all were broken.
G D/F# Em
And the three men I admire most:
C D
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
G D/F# Em
They caught the last train for the coast
C D
The day the music died.
Chorus
And they were singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
And Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
Em D D Dsus D D(9) D
"this’ll be the day that I die."
Chorus/Outro
G D
they were singing,
G C G D
bye-bye, miss american pie.
G C
Drove my chevy to the levee,
G D
But the levee was dry.
G C G D
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
C D G
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
C D G
"this’ll be the day that I die."
C G
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