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Contents
Or did he? Recent information gleaned from
the web indicates he may well have driven an actual Chevy to actual levee
(of sorts). More on that in the chorus section. [Back
to text]
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I have loved the song "American Pie" ever since the first
time I heard it in 1971. This is a rarity: normally songs I like the first
time through, I quickly learn to loathe. But this song was different in
every respect. It was long, it was mysterious, and it was acoustic guitar
and barroom piano at its best. It featured the rich, clear voice of a young
singer who would capture my tastes for the next several years.
And a word about that. Though Don McLean never equaled the
incredible success of "American Pie," his work on the album by the same
name was sterling. "Vincent" was another tribute song, this one to Vincent
Van Gogh. Had it not been for that song, I doubt I would have ever learned
what impressionism was. It's the one painting I can recognize by name.
But despite the skills he demonstrated as a musician and
lyricist in his other works, nothing he did came close to the impact of
"American Pie" on rock and roll. For it was not merely a good song, it
was a song that examined rock music itself. It was an introduction for
me, a college freshmen at the time, into the world of allegory.
And that's what's made this song continue to be an object
of great interest (many, many sites on the web have dedicated pages to
it). As a high school English teacher, it's this element -- the allegory
-- that caused me to turn this song into a teaching unit.
For those of you who haven't brushed up on the meaning of
this term since high school or college, here's what it means: an allegory
is a story that has more than one layer of meaning. The surface meaning,
while having its own truthfulness, isn't the real meaning of the song.
It's the connection between this superficial meaning and the next layer
down that makes an allegory work. Don McLean didn't really go down to the
levee and drink away his troubles with them good ol' boys*.
A jester didn't really steal a king's crown. A girl who sang the blues
didn't really just smile and turn away. These images tell a deeper story,
the story of the decline of rock music as Don McLean sees it.
When I teach this unit, kids (I teach sophomores) are always
greatly interested in the interpretation of the symbols. Who's the jester?
What's the park?. After ten years of analysis, I have most of the answers
for them.
But when we're done I like them to consider the bigger picture,
the theme. Do you agree with Don McLean, I ask them. Has rock and roll
gone to the dogs? Is it contaminated? And is this song a microcosm for
the end of innocence in American itself? The simple patriotism of the 40s
and 50s is gone forever in a decade filled with questions.
I often draw a parallel with the decline of professional
sports starting with Curt Flood's going to court to challenge baseball's
antitrust rules. They all see and understand the parallel -- they've heard
their dads complain about how sports has gone downhill since money took
over.
But they still watch sports. And they still listen to rock
music.
Do they agree with his theme? Some do, some vehemently don't.
But after having parsed the song line by line, symbol by symbol, they all
agree with one thing: that some rock music is more than just beat. They
begin to appreciate the poetry the underlies it.
That's why I teach the song. I encourage any teachers who
are reading this to use my material to do the same. That's what EntryPoints
is all about.
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