"American Pie" became the #1 song in the United States in 1972. This was about thirteen years after the death of Buddy Holly in 1959.

This is McLean recalling his desires to become a musician who plays dance music for social events, as was the main function of rock and roll music.

The death of Buddy Holly was February 3, 1959 in the middle of an Iowa winter snowstorm.

The only other job that McLean held besides being a musician was being a paperboy.

At the time of Holly’s death, he was a newlywed, and his wife was pregnant, but had a miscarriage shortly after.

The plane crash that killed Buddy Holly also took the lives of The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, three of the most prominent musicians of the time. Because of this loss, the day became known as "The Day The Music Died."

This is most likely a reference to the Buddy Holly song, "That’ll be the Day," with the chorus "That’ll be the day that I die." "Drove my Chevy to the levee" refers to three college students who were murdered because they were attempting to register as black voters. They were killed by bigoted thugs and their bodies were buried in a levee. The story is told in the film "Mississippi Burning."

The significance of these lines are uncertain. It could be a reference to Don Cornell’s 1955 song, "The Bible Tells Me So," but McLean was reported as saying that he had never heard the song. It could also come from the Sunday school rhyme, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Most likely this comes from The Lovin’ Spoonful’s hit "Do you Believe in Magic?" This song has the lines: "Do you believe in magic?" and "It’s like trying to tell a stranger ‘bout rock and roll."

This reference to slow dancing stems from it’s importance in early rock and roll dance events. This declined in the 60’s with such things as the 10 minute guitar solo and loud, vibrant music. McLean was also questioning early rock and roll to kee p it alive or see if it had already passed.

Then, slow dancing was an expression of love and commitment. Dance partners weren’t readily exchanged as they would in later years.

This is reference to the sock hops, which evolved because street shoes would tear up wooden basketball floors.

This line is a reference to the early 50’s style of African American music of the rhythm and blues. Many rhythm and blues hits began to appear on overall popular charts under white artists. By 1955 rhythm and blues artists such as Fats Domino and Georgia Gibbs were able to get records on the charts. In 1956, Sun Records added the elements of country and western to produce the rock and roll tradition that produced Buddy Holly.

These lines are reference to Marty Robbins’ song, "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)." The pickup truck is a long lasting symbol for sexual independence especially in the context of Texas.

This song was written about ten years after the deaths of Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper.

The identity of the "rolling stone" is unclear. It could be Bob Dylan, whose first hit was "Like a Rolling Stone." This could also be a reference to Elvis, or it could be to rock and rollers in general. This could be true beca use of the large sums of money that they began to take in, and the decline of the music that began at the same time. The other possibility is that it refers to the Rolling Stones themselves, because many musicians were upset with them for becoming citize ns of another country to avoid taxes.

The jester mentioned is Bob Dylan, which is made clearer later in the song. Many think that the King is Elvis Presley and the queen is either Connie Francis or Little Richard. It could also be referring to performance of Dylan at a Washington DC civil rights rally featuring Martin Luther King where the Kennedy’s were referred to as the king and queen of Camelot.

This comes from the move "Rebel Without a Cause" where James Dean has a red windbreaker that has symbolic meaning throughout the film. Dylan is pictured on the cover of "The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan" in a red windbreaker posing i n a street scene similar to one it the movie. Also, once Bob Dylan performed for the Queen of England and was not properly attired. This coat was a symbol for the youth of their time, reminding them that they had something to say and demanded to be list ened to.

The roots of Bob Dylan stem from American folk music, which is defined as music coming from common people, transmitted orally.

It is almost certain that this is a reference to Elvis looking down from heaven as his popularity declines and Dylan ascends to take is place. The thorny crown is probably the price of being famous. Lee Harvey Oswald could be the jester because h e ended JFK’s reign and stole his crown.

This could be reference to the Chicago Seven, but is more likely the fact that no verdict was returned for the assassination of John F. Kennedy because his assassin was killed so the courtroom was adjourned.

The literal significance of this is that John Lennon read a book about Karl Marx.

Many believe that this refers to the Beatles playing in Shea Stadium. Since the previous line has Lennon reading about Marx, it lends support to this being a reference to the group called the Weavers, who were blacklisted during the McCarthy era. A couple of the Weavers were good friends of McLean’s.

A "dirge" is a funeral song, so it could be referring to the funerals and mourning. It could also refer to the new groups which played long pieces of music, not intended to be danced to.

The Beatles had a song on one of their albums entitled "Helter Skelter."

The Byrd’s had a song entitled "Eight Miles High" that was banned because of drug-oriented lyrics.

A member of the Byrds was busted for possession of marijuana.

This could be the Rolling Stones waiting for an opening that didn’t come till the Beatles broke up, or it could be other musicians who received attention when Bob Dylan was injured as mentioned in the next line.

In 1966 Dylan crashed his motorcycle and spent nine months in solitude while recuperating.

This could refer to drugs, or the Democratic National Convention in 1968 where the "sweet perfume" would probably be tear gas.

The sergeants could be the Chicago Police and Illinois National Guard who marched protesters out of the park and into the jail from the Democratic National Convention. This could also be a reference to the Beatles’ music because it is not dance music.

The Beatles had a concert at Candlestick Park in 1966, but it only lasted 35 minutes, or it could be the lack of danceable music after the airplane crash.

This could be another reference to the protests of the Democratic National Convention. Another possibility is that it references the dominance of the Beatles on the rock and roll scene. The Beatles had a lot to do with the failure of some bands b ecause they were so popular. This could also be a reference to the draft and how the government refused to comply with the demands for peace.

This is the gathering at Woodstock.

This could refer to the Space Race, or could be a reference to hippies. Hippies were sometimes referred to as the "lost generation," because of their withdrawal from their parents and their extensive use of drugs.

This could mean that the "lost generation had spent too much time stoned and had wasted their lives, or could be that the new psychedelic styles of music were so far from Buddy Holly’s style that it could never again be revived.

This is probably about Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones’ release, "Jumpin’ Jack Flash" in 1968.

This one is not known for sure, but could have something to do with the Rolling Stone’s concert in Candlestick Park.

This could refer to the Grateful Dead song "Friend of the Devil." Another interpretation of the last four lines is Jack Kennedy’s quick decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The candlesticks and fire would refer to guided missiles and nuclear war.

At a concert at Altamont Speedway in 1968, members of the Hell’s Angels were working as security guards. Near front stage, a young man named Meredith Hunter was beaten and stabbed to death by the Angels. As McLean was a religious man, this could also mean that the music of the Rolling Stones was inspired by the devil.

Most likely, this is another reference to Altamont when Mick Jagger was dancing and posing when it was happening. Meredith Hunter was obviously the sacrifice and the flames were bonfires around the stage.

This is probably another reference to Mick Jagger as Satan.

This is a reference to Janis Joplin, the lady of the blues, and her death from a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970.

The sacred store could be Bill Graham’s Fillmore West, which was one of the great rock and roll stores which allowed customers to preview records before buying. This could also be stating that music stores were sacred because of the earlier questi on "Can music save your mortal soul?"

This is either the lack of interest in the music of Buddy Holly and others, or the end of stores with listening booths.

Most likely this is reference to "flower children" being beaten by National Guard and police troops, especially during the Peoples Park riots in Berkley in the late 1960’s.

This could be the trend towards loud and vivid music in the 60’s called psychedelic

The church bells could be symbolic for the dead musicians because they can no longer produce music.

There are several possibilities for the three men. Because of McLean’s religious background, it could have literal meaning. It could also mean the three musicians from the plane crash because going west is a synonym for dying, and obviously " ;the day the music died" was the day their lives were ended. Other options for the three men are Hank Williams, Elvis and Holly or John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.