Σήμερα αποφάσισα να σας πω μια ιστορία γύρω από ένα τραγούδι που φέρει τον παράξενο τίτλο American Pie. Μη ψάχνετε μάταια, τέτοια πίτα δεν υπάρχει.
Οι ιδιαιτερότητες του τραγουδιού δεν εξαντλούνται στον τίτλο του, αλλά συνεχίζονται μέσα στους στίχους όπου και εκεί υπάρχουν αναφορές και ονόματα που με την πρώτη ματιά ή άκουσμα φαντάζουν αινιγματικά. Το τραγούδι γράφτηκε από τον τραγουδοποιό, τραγουδιστή και κιθαρίστα της φολκ μουσικής τον Don McLean. Έχει διάρκεια 8,5 λεπτά και ουσιαστικά είναι μια μελοποιημένη απαγγελία ενός ποιήματος. Οι στίχοι, που γράφτηκαν μεταξύ του 1969 με 1971, σε διάφορες πόλεις των ΗΠΑ, αποτελούν ένα 16 σέλιδο ποίημα του οποίου το πρότυπο χειρόγραφο πουλήθηκε πέρσι σε δημοπρασία για 1,2 εκ.δολάρια.
Βασική έμπνευση για τη δημιουργία του υπήρξε ο τραγικός θάνατος τον Φεβρουάριο του 1959, σε αεροπορικό ατύχημα, του νεαρού σούπερσταρ Buddy Holly καθώς και των άλλων δυο ειδώλων της εποχής, των Ritchie Valens, και J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, οι οποίοι επενέβαιναν στο ίδιο μικρό ιδιωτικό αεροπλάνο. Δεν είναι τυχαίο που ο δημιουργός αφιερώνει το άλμπουμ American Pie στον Buddy Holly. Ο 13χρονος Don McLean θα συγκλονιστεί από το γεγονός το οποίο θα τον στιγματίσει και θα γίνει η αιτία να ξεκινήσει μετά από 10 χρόνια να γράφει τους στίχους του τραγουδιού που κορυφώνεται με το τραγικό περιστατικό της δολοφονίας ενός θεατή από τους Αγγέλους της Κολάσεως , στην δωρεάν συναυλία που έδωσαν οι Rolling Stones στο Άτλαμοντ και τελειώνει με μια έμμεση αναφορά στο θάνατο τριών άλλων σούπερσταρ της εποχής. Των Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix , Jim Morisson.
Το τραγούδι- ποίημα, είναι ο απολογισμός της δεκαετίας του '60 μέσα από τα μάτια του Don McLean. Περιγράφει την ενηλικίωση ενός εφήβου που περνά από την εποχή της αθωότητας στην εποχή των πειραματισμών της αμφισβήτησης και της ουτοπίας για να καταλήξει στην εποχή του τέλους των ψευδαισθήσεων. Η δεκαετία του 70 βρίσκει τη γενιά των Baby boomers , αποδεκατισμένη, απογοητευμένη και τελικά τσακισμένη από τις ίδιες τις επιλογές τους.
Bye bye Miss American Pie...
Στο μεσοδιάστημα παρελαύνουν μέσα από τους στίχους πρόσωπα και γεγονότα που συντάραξαν τη δεκαετία 1959-1969. Πρόσωπα όπως οι Bob Dylan,Elvis Presley, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, John Lennon,James Dean, Karl Marx, Byrds κ.α. Γεγονότα όπως οι αιματηρές εργατικές διαμαρτυρίες στο Σικάγο και το Οχάιο, οι αγώνες για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα, η συναυλία των Stones στο Άτλαμοντ, η τελευταία ζωντανή εμφάνιση των Beatles κ.α.
Και η μουσική, τι έγινε η μουσική;
Η μουσική πεθαίνει ,κατά την άποψή μου, δύο φορές μέσα στο τραγούδι.
Την πρώτη με τον θάνατο του Buddy Holly που σηματοδοτεί το τέλος της εποχής του ροκ΄ν΄ρολ, αφού το 1959 ο Elvis ήταν στρατευμένος στη Γερμανία, ο Little Richards είχε στραφεί προς το gospel, ο Chuck Berry είχε συλληφθεί και φυλακιστεί με γελοίες κατηγορίες από έναν ρατσιστή δικαστή.
Τη δεύτερη φορά πεθαίνει αυτό που ονομάζεται κλασικό ροκ, με το θάνατο των Joplin,Hendrix, Morrison και την παρακμή όλων των υπολοίπων που προσπαθούν να νικήσουν τους δαίμονες τους.
Τέλος το American Pie βρίσκεται στην λίστα των 5 σημαντικότερων τραγουδιών του 20ου αιώνα. Έχουν περάσει 45 χρόνια από την κυκλοφορία του, και οι συζητήσεις γύρω από τα νοήματα που κρύβονται μέσα σε αυτό δεν έχουν κοπάσει.
Οι στίχοι του τραγουδιού
| American Pie |
[Intro]
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 1]
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
I started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 2]
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
We were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
[Chorus:]
We started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
He was singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Outro]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
And they were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Chorus:]
They were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 1]
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
I started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 2]
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
We were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
[Chorus:]
We started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
He was singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Outro]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
And they were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
[Chorus:]
They were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
Το τραγούδι σε ένα δραματοποιημένο βίντεο κλιπ:
https://youtu.be/ih7N9_VUU4U
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