 Chorus

 AMERICAN PIE G C G
Bye-bye, Miss American Pie
D

D. McLean G C
From the album American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the
DON McLEAN/UA (1971) G D
 levee was dry
(Pause after each chord) G C
G D/Gb Em (And) Them good ole boys were drinkin’
A long, long time ago G D
Am7 C whiskey and rye
I can still remember how that music Em pause A7 pause
Em Dsus, D, Dadd9, D Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
Used to make me smile Em pause
G D/Gb Em This’ll be the day that I
And I knew if I had my chance D-Dadd9, D, Dsus, D, Dadd9, D, (Fast)
Am7 C die.”
That I could make those people dance
Em C G Am7
And maybe they’d be happy for a Did you write the book of love
D, Dsus, D, Dadd9, D C Am7
while And do you have faith in God above
Em Am7 Em D Dsus, D, Dadd9,
But February made me shiver If the Bible tells you so
Em Am7 D, G D/Gb Em
With every paper I’d deliver And do you believe in rock ‘n’ roll
C G/B Am7 Am7 C
Bad news on the doorstep Can music save your mortal soul
C D Em A7
I couldn’t take one more step And can you teach me how to dance
G D/Gb Em D
I can’t remember if I cried real slow
C D Em pause D pause
When I read about his widowed bride Well, I know that you’re in love with him
G D/Gb Em Em pause D pause
But something touched me deep inside ‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym
C D G C G/B A7
The day the music died, so… You both kicked off your shoes
C D7
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
G D/Gb Em
I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
Am7 C
With a pink carnation and a pick-up truck
G D/Gb Em
But I knew I was out o’ luck
C D G-C-G
On the day the music died
 D G D/Gb Em
I started singin’… It landed foul on the grass
(Repeat Chorus except last chord pattern) Am7 C
The players tried for a forward pass
G Am7 Em A7 D7
Now for ten years we’ve been on our own With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
C Am7 Em pause D pause
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone Now the half-time air was sweet
Em D perfume
But that’s not how it used to Em pause D pause
Dsus, D, Dadd9, While the sergeants played a marching
be tune
D, G D/Gb Em C G/B A7
When the jester sang for the king and We all got up to dance
queen C D7
Am7 C Oh, but we never got the chance
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean G D/Gb Em
Em A7 D7 ‘Cause the players tried to take the field
And a voice that came from you and me Am7 C
Em pause D pause The marching band refused to yield
Oh, and while the king was looking G D/Gb Em
down Do you recall what was revealed
Em pause D pause C D G-C-G
The jester stole his thorny crown The day the music died
C G/B A7 D
The courtroom was adjourned We started singin’…
C D7 (Repeat Chorus except last chord pattern)
No verdict was returned
G D/Gb Em G Am7
And while Lennon read a book on Oh, and there we were all in one
Marx place
Am7 C C Am7
The quartet practiced in the park A generation lost in space
G D/Gb Em Em D
And we sang dirges in the dark With no time left to start again
C D G-C-G G D/Gb Em
The day the music died So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
D Am7 C
We were singin’… Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
(Repeat Chorus except last chord pattern) Em A7 D
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend
G Am7 Em pause D pause
Helter-skelter in the summer swelter Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
C Am7 Em pause D pause
The birds flew off with a fall out shelter My hands were clenched in fists of rage
Em D C G/B A7
Eight miles high and fallin’ No angel born in hell
Dsus, D, Dadd9, D, C D7
fast Could break that Satan’s spell
 G D/Gb Em And they were singin’…
And as the flames climbed high in----to (Repeat Chorus)
the night They were singin’…
Am7 C (Repeat 1st 3 lines of Chorus)
To light the sacrificial rite C D
G D/Gb Em Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I
I saw Satan laughing with delight G, C, G
C D G-C-G die.”
The day the music died
D
He was singin’…
(Repeat Chorus except last word)
D pause
…die.”

(Pause after each chord)

G D/Gb Em
I met a girl who sang the blues
Am7 C
And I asked her for some happy news
Em D
But she just smiled and turned
Dsus, D, Dadd9, D,
away
G D/Gb Em
I went down to the sacred store
(G/B) Am7 (G/B) C
Where I’d heard the music years before
Em C
But the man there said the music
D Dsus, D, Dadd9, D,
wouldn’t play 
Em Am7
And in the streets the children screamed
Em Am7
The lovers cried and the poets
dreamed
C G/B Am7
But not a word was spoken
(G/B) C D
The church bells all were broken
G D/Gb Em
And the three men I admire most
C D
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
G D/Gb Em
They caught the last train for the coast
C D G
The day the music died