Long before I decided how I would use music or what kind of artist I would be, Buddy was there.'įans have pulled apart and analyzed the rest of the 'American Pie' lyrics and references through context clues, research, and finding historical parallels to the decades that inspired the creation of McLean's ballad. McLean officially verified only one reference in the song: that Buddy Holly was a key influence in his life. As McLean put it, 'I can say that Buddy was a huge part of my childhood dream. American Pie is the (early) Baby Boomer coming-of-age story, as the chronology of the song runs roughly from 1959 to 1971, the year America Pie was released.

The lyrics had to do with the state of society at the time.' I believe American Pie by Don McLean makes a reference to the JFK assassination. 'I wanted to make a whole series of complex statements. 'People ask me if I left the lyrics open to ambiguity. McLean's ambiguous writing style lends itself to all types of interpretation, and that is how he wanted it. McLean seems to be lamenting the lack of. Vietnam,' McLean said in Alan Howard's book The Don McLean Story, hinting at the song's larger meaning: the disintegration of the American ideal McLean romanticized in his youth. The entire song is a tribute to Buddy Holly and a commentary on how rock and roll changed in the years since his death. 'I saw the implication of America going bye-bye, since by 1971 we were a horribly divided country with tremendous anger being directed at the government over. The classic folk-rock anthem, known for its expansive lyrics, is filled with cultural references related to American life in the 1950s and 1960s.

'That song didn't just happen,' McLean said of his 1971 hit, which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and named a Song of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. Eight minutes long, starting with 'A long, long time ago,' Don McLean's 'American Pie' is a slice of cultural history. Since the song's release, fans have been obsessed with answering one question: what is 'American Pie' about?

American pie song references