| "The Levee is Dry" |
| A private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa on the early morning of February 3, 1959. It was destined for Fargo, North Dakota, but fate had other plans. A cold wind sprung up from the northeast shortly after take off, which was followed by a snow storm, obstructing visibility in all directions. The inexperienced pilot, Roger Peterson, could not see the land below and without warning one wing struck the ground. As the plane corkscrewed the three passengers onboard were thrown out of the cabin, leaving only Peterson inside (Rich). All four souls were lost on that morning in 1959, which would forever after be known as �the day the music died.� In 1971 an artist produced an epic tale that covered the decade between 1959 and 1969. That artist in question was Don McLean, and that epic tale was a song entitled �American Pie.� McLean was a famous singer/songwriter of the 60s and 70s and has produced 20 albums to date. His song was written in remembrance of the deaths of rock and roll legends Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly (McLean�s hero), who all lost their lives on the same plane crash. Through his poetic lyrics McLean effectively winds a tale of turmoil for the music world, and successfully illustrates the dramatic loss and change of direction for rock and roll that followed this tragic event. �American Pie� was originally released in October of 1971 by United Artists on the album of the same name (Howard). At the time of the song�s release, it was in competition with more hard rock songs. �American Pie� begins with a nice slow verse of about one minute in length accompanied by piano that leads up to the chorus. This slow paced beginning was a gamble for songs of the time because of the music lover�s crave for a thumping beat. The song�s length is also longer then most others of the time, spanning nearly nine minutes, such a song would not get much airplay on the radio. However, songs that are innovative and original tend to outlast ones which are not. Once the chorus kicks in the song takes a different route that is fueled by a steady bass line. The song is driven by a cheerful beat, which is somewhat satirical of the pessimistic mood and a sad meaning behind it. The main point of the song can be heard in the chorus, which illustrates the helplessness that accompanied the loss of Buddy Holly. The line, �this will be the day that I die,� was taken from Buddy Holly�s song, �That�ll Be the Day� (Carson). It is here that one can truly sense McLean�s feelings of being lost without his childhood hero. The song doesn�t just end on the note of the plane crash however, it continues onward through the repercussions of the event. McLean was not the only one who believed in the crashes lasting effects on the music industry. Lester Bangs wrote in the November 1971 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, �For the last couple of years critics and audience alike have been talking about the Death of Rock.� McLean lyrically charts this steady decline in the quality and integrity of music. McLean sings, �Now for ten years we�ve been on our own,� symbolizing the fact that the world has been without the great music of the 50s for a decade and what came to replace it was scandal. His straightforward style gives way to metaphorical lyrics, which are used with his own aptness for storytelling, leading his audience down the road of history. This historical technique is the main focus for McLean, giving him a guideline for his tale of the music industry�s breakdown. McLean tells of the great rocker Bob Dylan and his motorcycle accident and fall from fame. He also alludes to Elvis�s joining the army and leaving the rock world without a �king.� These are the first stops that he makes along his path to inform the listener of this music history. The fall of Beatles popularity is also evident in the song. �And while Lennon read a book of Marx,� refers to John Lennon�s remark in 1966 about Christianity. Lennon said, �Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first: rock 'n' roll or Christianity.� (Carson). This is an important direction for McLean to travel down because he�s expressing the religious downfall that is accompanied with the event of the crash. One of the most powerful lines in this song is �and we sang dirges in the dark,� referring to the funeral songs that were sung for John and Robert Kennedy and also Martin Luther King Jr. This is a more political view on the situation which is used as an effective tool for McLean�s purpose; it applies a broader scope to the issue. �Helter Skelter in a summer swelter� of course refers to the Beatles song �Helter Skelter� and the murders committed by Charles Manson. Also, the fall of the rock band the Byrds is touched in this song. It is evident that McLean covered a vast majority of the terrible events of the 60s regarding not only music, but also the deaths of revolutionary people. He is trying to express that the revolution is coming, but it continues to fail. This revolution has a symbolic meaning accompanied to it. McLean uses the technique of religious language throughout the song to touch the forgotten part of people, their soul. The 60s and 70s encompassed the Vietnam War, the most protested war by the American people. The consensus was that the United States had no business in Vietnam and that young Americans were being sent off to die for some unjust cause. McLean places this belief off to the side and calls on it at appropriate times throughout the song to bring forth much emotion form people. Not even the hopeful music of the 60s could bring about any change in national morale; music could no longer sooth the soul as it once did. At one point McLean alludes to the four Kent State students protesting the war, who were killed by the National Guard. From all of this violence in America people began to forget the spiritual traits of humanity and focused on the cold heart of government. With questions like, �Do you have faith in God above, if the Bible tells you so?� McLean brings back that sense of spirituality. Don McLean is a storyteller at heart and with his eloquent words he takes his listeners on a magical journey through time. �American Pie� is considered by many to be the greatest folk/rock song ever written. Such an agreement could only be made for a song that stands on its own from the rest of the pack. Techniques which McLean uses help to fuel this nine minute epic into a whirlwind of music. And his own lyrical skill and guitar work accompany his orchestra of history. With these tools at his aid McLean brings one on a course through history and shows the effects that �the day the music died� has left on the music industry. But with death there also comes rebirth, and McLean�s blend of folk music and rock and roll led the way to other genres, creating a new foundation for future musicians and the hope of rhythm, melody, and harmony. Works Cited: Bangs, Lester. �American Pie.� Rolling Stone Magazine. Nov. 1971 Carson. (1998). Carson�s American Pie Interpretation. <http://webpub.alleg.edu/student/c/carsonm> Howard, Alan and Oscar Adonebu. (2002). Don McLean Online. <http://www.don-mclean.com> Rich, Candace. (2001). �The Day the Music Died: February 3, 1959.� Fifties Web. <http://www.fiftiesweb.com/crash.htm> |