American Pie - chords, tab and comments


The discussion lingers on, 35 years after the release, is this song about the death of the rock music legend Buddy Holly? The author has never confirmed nor denied it, but there should be no doubt. It's a 14 year old paperboy's mood, recalled 12 years later.

This is not only one of the most thoroughbred beautiful songs ever written, it's unique in another way: released 1971, it covered both sides of a single :-D never seen that stunt repeated.
  G    D/F#  Em7     Am            C
a long long time ago I can still remember how that
Em                    D
music used to make me smile
G      D/F#  Em7              Am                  C
I knew if I had my chance that I could make those people dance and
Em              C           D
maybe they'd be happy for a while
Em            Am                 Em           Am
but february made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver
C        G/B    Am             C                 D
bad news on the doorstep   I couldn't take one more step
   G       D/F#  Em                Am7             D
I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
    G         D/F#       Em               C       D7     G     C   G  D7
but something touched me deep inside the day the music died


   G    C        G       D
so bye bye miss american pie
         G            C             G         D
drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
     G         C                  G           D
them good ole' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye singin'
Em                        A7    Em             C          D   D7  G  D7
this'll be the day that I die   this'll be the day that I die


G                 Am               C                    Am
did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above?
Em                     D
if the Bible tells you so
G            D/F#     Em
now do you believe in rock and roll
    Am7             C
can music save your mortal soul and
Em                      A7    D
can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Em                          D
well I know that you're in love with him
        Em              D
cause I saw you dancing in the gym
    C           G               A7
you both kicked off your shoes
      C                    D7
man I dig those rhythm and blues
        G      D/F#    Em
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck with a
Am                    C
pink carnation and a pick up truck
       G       D/F#   Em              C       D7       G     C
but I knew that I was out of luck the day the music died
G           D7     G   C
I started singing bye  bye...
G major
G
D major
D
D 7
D7
C major
C
E minor
Em
E minor 7
Em7
A minor
Am
A minor 7
Am7
A major 7
A7
Don McLean