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 So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry And them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die 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 'n' 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 I started singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye And singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Now, for ten 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 lookin' 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 We were singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye And singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Helter-skelter in the summer swelter The birds flew off with a fallout shelter Eight miles high and fallin' 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 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? We started singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die 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 ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die 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 Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die They were singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die
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 So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry And them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die 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 'n' 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 I started singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye And singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Now, for ten 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 lookin' 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 We were singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye And singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die Helter-skelter in the summer swelter The birds flew off with a fallout shelter Eight miles high and fallin' 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 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? We started singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die 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 ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die 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 Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die They were singin': Bye-bye, Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye Singin': This'll be the day that I die
Foi gravado e lançado em 1971 no álbum homônimo, alcançando o número‑um nos EUA por quatro semanas em 1972 a partir da posição 69 na Billboard.
O single chegou ao topo nas paradas de Austrália, Canadá (5 semanas no topo) e Nova Zelândia, e atingiu o segundo lugar no Reino Unido, permanecendo lá por três semanas na sua edição original.
A versão de 8 minutos e 42 segundos de McLean é a sexta maior do Billboard Hot 100 e detinha o recorde de “longest song to reach number one” por quase cinquenta anos até 2021.
O trecho “the day the music died” faz referência ao acidente aéreo de 1959 que matou Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper e Ritchie Valens, nome que se popularizou a partir da canção.
Em 2017 a gravação original foi selecionada para preservação no National Recording Registry da Biblioteca do Congresso, sendo considerada “culturalmente, historicamente ou esteticamente significativa”.
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