Don McLean and "American Pie"

Paper Summary:

The paper takes a close look at the life of Don McLean, singer, songwriter and performer. In particular, it examines his hit song "American Pie" which was released with great success in the autumn of 1971. The paper attempts to dissect the lines of the song, relating them to specific events in history and exploring the deeper meaning of the lyrics.

From the Paper:

"Both Don McLean and American Pie fit into the cultural scene of the early 1970s because of the song's lyrics. McLean continually laments the loss of danceable music after the deaths of Buddy Holly, the "Big Bopper," and Ritchie Valens. He gives negative images of the music created by groups such as the Beatles who was not danced to as music had been in the 1950s. The lyrics in the song "We all got up to dance, oh, but we never got the chance" refer to the Beatles' Candlestick Park concert in 1966. McLean complains that not only did the concert last for a short thirty-five minutes, but also one couldn't dance to the music anyway (Kulawiec, 2000)."

More papers on Don McLean and "American Pie":

• Analytical Essay # 112569 : "Don McLean's Song "American Pie"
• Analytical Essay # 46774 : "White Noise" and "American Beauty"
• Book Review # 100968 : "White Noise" by Don DeLillo and "America" by Jean Baudrillard"

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