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This song is about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP Richardson who were on a plain together that crashed. Don McLean is writing about how the the three people's death changed music, our in his terms, how music "died". I truly believe music was changed after that incident, so I do think it music died.

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Daphne Bergstrom

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3y ago
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14y ago

Don Mclean's American Pie was written about the death of Buddy Holly. "The Day The Music Died" in the song is February 3, 1959, when Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash after a concert. McLean wrote the song from his memories of the event, but unlike some rumors, the plane that crashed and inspired the song was Not named the American Pie. Don Mclean has said that the song was about Buddy Holly's death himself, but has never admitted the exact meaning of the phrases in the song. However, there are some websites that will explain the meanings of phrases in the song. Well, he named his song American Pie because the song basically represents America itself, forever changing. I believe that the song represents the changing from "abstract" childhood to realization adulthood. The song was written about Buddy Holly, yet there were some comments about other deaths. The song was also written around the death of Don Mclean's father and the assassination of President Kennedy.

Hope this helped!

~Kingdra96~

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15y ago

"Initially inspired by his memories of the death of Buddy Holly in 1959, 'American Pie' is autobiographical and presents an abstract story of Don McLean's life from the mid 1950s until when he wrote the song in the late 1960s. It is almost entirely symbolised by the evolution of popular music over these years and represents a change from the lightness of the 1950s to the darkness of the late 1960s. This is also very symbolic of changing America during this era. In Don's life the transition from light (the innocence of childhood) to the darker realities of adulthood probably started with the death of Buddy Holly and culminated with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 and the start of a more difficult time for America. In this 4 year period, Don moved from a fairly idyllic childhood existence, through the shock and subsequent harsh realities of his father's death in 1961, to his decision in 1963 to quit Villanova University to pursue his dream and become a professional singer."

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11y ago

Death of Buddy Holly, "Big Bopper", and Richie Valens in plane crash.

Death of Buddy Holly, "Big Bopper", and Richie Valens in plane crash.

Hell's Angels were security at Altamont with The Rolling Stones; they were not security at Woodstock. Richardson did not die in the same day at Buddy Holly and Richie Valens.

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14y ago

This song is about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP Richardson who were on a plain together that crashed. Don McLean is writing about how the the three people's death changed music, our in his terms, how music "died". I truly believe music was changed after that incident, so I do think it music died.

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14y ago

The day Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash became known as "The day the music died". More specifically, the early type of rock and roll died on that day, losing some of its' dopey innocence.

The song goes on to both lament and celebrate the new type of rock that followed.

The king (Elvis?) the jester (Bob Dylan?) sergeant's marching band, quartet (The Beatles?). The song is the changing history of rock in code, which is more fun to explore and interpret for yourself than to have someone explain in excruciating detail.

Now that you know what "The day the music died" means, you can move on from there as the verses usually contain song titles to give you a time-line: "Book Of Love" "A White Sports Coat and a Pink Carnation" "Helter Skelter" "Eight Miles High"

Good Luck.

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14y ago

Buddy Holly had died (many years earlier) and it had affected McLean quite profoundly.

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15y ago

Don McLean.

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15y ago

1972

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Q: What year did the song American Pie by Don McLean come out?
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