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american pie (Complete lyrics)

by Don McLean · posted by bingharp

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Full reference and posting tips in the tab guide.

Tab

3 6 6 6 5 4

A long, long time a--go
-5 -4 -5 -5 5 -4 4 -3 4 -3 4 -3 4 -3 3
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
3 6 6 6 6 6 -6 4 4 -4 5 -5 5 -4 5 -5
And I knew if I had my chance that I could make those people dance
-4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 5 -4
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
-3" 5 5 5 5 -5 5 4 -4 5 5 5 5 5 -5 5 4 -3"
But February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver
4 4 4 -3 -3" 4 -4 4 -4 5 -6 6 5
Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step
5 -6 6 6 5 -5 5 4 -3 -3" -4 5 -5 5 -4 5 -4
I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
-3" 5 5 5 5 5 5 -4 4 -3" 4 -5 5 4
But something touched me deep inside the day the music died 3 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4

So bye, bye Miss American Pie
6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -3

Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die 6 -6 6 6 6 -5 5 -4 5 -5 5 -5 5 -5 5 4
Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above
4 4 4 -3 4 -3 3
If the Bible tells you so?

-6 6 -6 6 6 5 6 6 -6 5 6 -4 6 -5 5 -4 -5
Now do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul?

5 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 5 5
And can you teach me how to dance real slow? 5 -5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6

Well, I know that you're in love with him
-5 5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym

5 -5 5 -4 4 5
You both kicked off your shoes

7 7 7 7 7 7 -8 -7
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues 8 7 -6 7 6 6 6 6 6 -6

I was a lonely teenage bronc'n' buck
5 5 -4 5 -5 5 -5 5 6 5 -4
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

5 5 7 -6 6 6 6 5
But I knew I was out of luck

4 4 5 -5 5 4
The day the music died

6 6 6 -6 6 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
I started singing bye, bye Miss American Pie

6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye

5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
-3" 6 -6 6 6 6 -5 5 -4
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
5 -5 5 -5 5 -5 5 4 -4
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
-3" 4 4 4 -3 4 -3 3
But that's not how it used to be
-6 6 -6 6 6 5 6 6 -6 -6
When the jester sang for the king and queen
5 6 -4 -6 6 -5 5 -4 -5
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
5 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 5
And a voice that came from you and me
5 -5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
Oh, and while the king was looking down
5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
The jester stole his thorny crown
5 -5 5 -4 4 5
The courtroom was adjourned
7 7 7 7 7 -8 -7
No verdict was returned
8 7 -6 7 6 6 6 6 -6
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
5 -5 5 -5 5 6 5 -4
The quartet practiced in the park
5 5 7 -6 6 6 6 5
And we sang dirges in the dark
4 4 5 -5 5 4
The day the music died
3 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
So bye, bye Miss American Pie
6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
6 -6 -6 6 6 6 -5 5 -4 -4
Helter skelter in the summer swelter
5 -5 -5 5 -5 5 -5 5 4 -4
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
4 4 4 -3" 4 -3" 3
Eight miles high and falling fast
6 -6 6 6 5 6 6 -6
It landed foul on the grass
5 6 -4 6 -5 5 -4 -5 -5
The players tried for a forward pass
5 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 5 5 4 -4
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
5 -5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
Now the half time air was sweet perfume
5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
While sergeants played a marching tune
5 -5 5 -4 4 5
We all got up to dance
7 7 7 7 7 7 -8 -7
Oh, but we never got the chance
8 7 -6 7 6 6 6 6 6 -6
'Cause the players tried to take the field
5 5 -4 5 -5 5 -5 5 6
The marching band refused to yield
5 -4 5 5 7 -6 6 6 5
Do you recall what was revealed
4 4 5 -5 5 4
The day the music died?
6 6 6 -6 6 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
I started singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
6 -6 -6 6 6 6 -5 5 -4 -4 5 -5 -5 5 -5 5 -5
Oh, and there we were all in one place, a generation lost in space
4 4 4 -3" 4 -3" 3 -3
With no time left to start again
5 4 -4 6 -6 6 6 5 6 -6
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
5 6 -4 6 -5 5 -4 -5 5 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3" 5 5 4 -4
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick 'cause fire is the devil's only friend
5 -5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
5 -5 5 -4 4 5
No angel born in hell
7 7 7 7 -8 -7
Could break that Satan's spell
8 7 -6 7 6 6 6 6 6 -6
And as the flames climbed high into the night
5 -5 -4 -5 5 -5 5 6
To light the sacrificial rite
5 -4 5 5 7 -6 6 6 5
I saw Satan laughing with delight
4 4 5 -5 5 4
The day the music died
6 6 -6 6 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
He was singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5
I met a girl who sang the blues

-4 5 -5 5 -5 5 -5 4
And I asked her for some happy news

-3 4 4 4 -3 4 -3 3
But she just smiled and turned a-way

6 6 6 6 5 6 -6 5
I went down to the sacred store

4 4 -4 5 -5 5 -4 5 -5
Where I'd heard the music years before

5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3 4 -3" 4 -3" 5
But the man there said the music wouldn't play -4 5 5 5 5 -5 5 -4
And in the streets the children screamed

-3" 5 5 5 5 5 -5 5 4
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed

-2" 4 4 4 -3 -3" 4
But not a word was spoken

-3" 4 -4 5 -6 6 5
The church bells all were broken 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5
And the three men I admire most

4 -4 5 -5 5 5 -4 5 6
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost

-5 5 5 5 5 5 5 3
They caught the last train for the coast

4 -3" 5 -5 5 4
The day the music died 3 6 6 -6 6  6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And they were singing bye, bye Miss American Pie
6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -3
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
6 6 -6 6  6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
They were singing, bye, bye Miss American Pie
6 6 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 3
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
-3" 6 6 6 -5 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
5 -4 4 -3" 4 -3" 4 -3 -3" -4 -5 5 -4 4 -3 -3" -3 4
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die

Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound

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