February 3, 1959: The day the music died

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"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. A re-release in 1991 did not chart in the U.S., but reached number 12 in the UK. The song is an abstract story surrounding "The Day the Music Died" -- the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr.), as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson.

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 as the number five song of the twentieth century. Some Top 40 stations initially played only side two of the single, but the song's popularity eventually forced stations
to play the entire piece.
"American Pie" is Don McLean's signature song.
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The song is well known for its cryptic lyrics that have long been the subject of curiosity and speculation. Although McLean dedicated the American Pie album to Buddy Holly, none of the musicians 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." 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."

McLean has generally avoided responding to direct questions about the song lyrics ("They're beyond analysis. They're poetry.")[3] 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 3, 1959 (the line "February made me shiver/with every paper I'd deliver"). He also stated in an editorial published on the 50th anniversary of the crash in 2009 that writing the first verse of the song exorcised his
long-running grief over Holly's death.

Despite this, many fans of McLean, amongst others, have attempted an interpretation (see Interpretation Links); at the time of the song's original release in late 1971, many American AM and FM rock radio stations released printed interpretations and some devoted entire shows discussing and debating the song's lyrics, resulting in both controversy and intense listener interest in the song. Some examples are the real-world identities of the "Jester", "King and Queen", "Satan",
"Girl Who Sang the Blues" and other characters referenced in the verses.
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From Wikipedia. The
full entry is here.
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Garrison Keillor's thoughts on the radio program Writer's Almanac
on the birthday of Buddy Holly.
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7 Comments

Brenda | February 3, 2010 11:54 AM | Reply

RIP Ritchie Valens AKA Richard Valenzuela
RIP Buddy Holly
RIP Chantilly Lace

Chuck Baird | February 3, 2010 1:54 PM | Reply

51 years ago - my, oh, my. Some things stick hard in your mind.

The best reflection I ever came across about the event was a piece by Garrison Keillor about how he and some friends skipped school and drove out to the crash site. Very touching.

Ebert: Couldn't find that column, but I've added a Garrison Keillor audio link about Buddy Holly at the bottom of the page: http://j.mp/9qbKQQ

Benoch | February 3, 2010 6:03 PM | Reply

I've always heard that Bob Dylan was "The Jester". At least in esteem, he stole the crown in many ways.

LLon | February 3, 2010 9:39 PM | Reply

This is one of that songs that will never die.

Tom Dark | March 14, 2010 8:42 PM | Reply

How did I miss this one? Oh. Yeh. Moving. What a great big pain in the yingyang that's been. Still tired and not far from incoherent.

But it's my duty to report that after "American Pie" started proving to be a hit, the gang at Cafe Lena in Saratoga NY, where Don played a lot, smushed a whipped cream pie in his face one night after he finished his last set. It wasn't just to be funny, some just didn't like him. I'm not sure he ever played there again.

8 or 9 years later I was jobbing with ex-teen throb Jimmy Clanton, now 42, still about 18 mentally and emotionally. He didn't know that certain band members had been banging his wife, and probably still doesn't.

Jimmy used to tell this story every night: a wish for clean underwear saved his life. He gave up his seat on that plane because he didn't have any clean underwear. He went to the laundromat instead.

Although the job paid $250 a week, standard for sidemen at the time (even Billy Joel's, I heard, the cheap bastard), Jimmy's story did have me wondering what the venues we played would be like without him, had he been more lax about clean underwear. Couldn't have been any more mediocre than it was. I'm not too sure they could afford Buddy Holly or the Big Bopper, had they too preferred clean underwear that night.

Mike | May 23, 2010 7:05 AM | Reply

Dear Mr. Ebert,

I enjoyed this entry very much. You grew up in the 50's and I'm curious if you had any favorite performer (i.e. Elvis, Buddy Holly, etc.) Personally, I think Fats Domino was the most rockin' dude of that time.

seo newcastle | October 25, 2011 5:55 AM | Reply

One of those songs that will never die eh.

I've always heard that Bob Dylan was "The Jester". At least in esteem, he stole the crown in many ways.