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
So...
*Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
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 dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncing buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing(*)
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling 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
We were singing(*)
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
Landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While 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?
We started singing(*)
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
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
He was singing(*)
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
And they were singing(*)
長達八分多鐘的"American pie"絕對是流行歌壇的經典作品，瑪丹娜還曾翻唱成舞曲風味的版本，但一向頗欣賞娜姐的安德森，這回卻覺得她的翻唱褻瀆了這首歌。
寫作並演唱這首歌曲的唐麥克林，是因為他的偶像 Buddy Holly於一九五九年二月三日飛機失事身亡，有感而發寫下這首長篇鉅作。那場空難使美國歌壇失去了三位搖滾樂的重量級人物，除了前面提及的 Buddy Holly以外，還包括 The Big Bopper和 Ritchie Valens。
歌詞中處處影射當時美國政治、文化的諸多現象，若非親身經歷過那個時代，一般樂迷從歌詞根本瞧不出端倪。
"American pie"完全解說版，
American pie Don McLean
A long long time ago 美國派 歌詞解說版 唐麥克林
很久很久以前
"美國派"這首歌於１９７２年獲得排行榜冠軍，同名專輯發行於１９７１年。Buddy Holly 死於１９５９年。
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
我依然記得
音樂是如何讓我會心微笑
我知道，如果我有機會
我可以讓人們聞樂起舞
也許他們會快樂好一陣子
早期的搖滾樂經常被視為跳舞音樂的一種。唐麥克林回憶年少時代，就希望自己能從事這類音樂的創作。
But February made me shiver
with every paper I'd deliver
但二月使我顫抖
因為我送的每一份報紙
唐麥克林的偶像 Buddy Holly 於１９５９年二月三日，死於飛機失事，飛機因為一場暴風雪墜於愛荷華州。
唐麥克林在成為一位專職的作曲家歌手以前，唯一從事過的行業是送報紙。
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
丟在門口的噩耗
使我舉步維艱
我不記得自己有沒有哭
當我讀到他那位新寡妻子的新聞時
Buddy Holly 失事喪生時，其女友已經懷有身孕，因聽聞噩耗而導致流產。
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
某種情緒深深觸動了我
在音樂死亡的那一天
在那場墜機意外中，除了 Buddy Holly 以外，隨行的歌手 Richie Valens 、 The Big Bopper 全部喪生，三位都是當時搖滾樂壇的重量級人物，那一天因而被視為：音樂死亡的日子。
So...
*Bye, bye Miss American Pie
那麼......
再見了，美國派小姐
唐麥克林曾與一位參選”美國小姐”的佳麗交往。
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
開著雪佛蘭到河堤上，但河堤已乾涸
老好人們飲著威士忌和麥酒
唱著這會是我死的那一天
這會是我死的那一天
Buddy Holly 有一首暢銷單曲叫" That'll be the Day"，歌詞中就有一句是" That'll be the day that I die"
Did you write the book of love
你寫過愛之書嗎？
"The Book of Love"是 The Monotones 合唱團於１９５８年的暢銷曲。
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
你相信天上的上帝嗎？
如果聖經是這麼告訴你的
有一首兒童主日學的歌曲，歌詞中有一句是" Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so "。
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
你相信搖滾樂嗎？
The Loving Spoonful 合唱團與 John Sebastian於１９６５年合作的單曲" Do you Believe in Magic ?"，歌詞有兩句是" Do you believe in magic " 和 " It's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll."
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
音樂可以拯救你的靈魂嗎？
你可以教我如何放慢速度來跳舞嗎？
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'cause I saw you dancing in the gym
我知道妳愛上了他
因為我看到你們在體育館裡跳舞
在那個年代，跳舞是種表達愛意的方式，也象徵給對方的承諾。
You both kicked off your shoes
你們踢掉鞋子
一般外出鞋會破壞體育館的木質地板，因此舞者必須脫掉鞋子。
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
老天，我深深感受到節奏與藍調
節奏與藍調早期是黑人專屬的音樂，被視為”種族音樂” ? race music，白人很少接觸這類音樂，後經由電台的播放，才逐漸普及。以下提及多首當時的暢銷曲，請有興趣的朋友自己參閱：
Some history. Before the popularity of rock and roll, music, like much else in the U. S., was highly segregated. The popular music of black performers for largely black audiences was called, first, "race music," later rhythm and blues. In the early 50s, as they were exposed to it through radio personalities such as Allan Freed, white teenagers began listening, too. Starting around 1954, a number of songs from the rhythm and blues charts began appearing on the overall popular charts as well, but usually in cover versions by established white artists, (e. g. "Shake Rattle and Roll", Joe Turner, covered by Bill Haley; "Sh-Boom", the Chords, covered by the Crew-Cuts; "Sincerely", the Moonglows, covered by the Mc Guire Sisters; Tweedle Dee, LaVerne Baker, covered by Georgia Gibbs). By 1955, some of the rhythm and blues artists, like Fats Domino and Little Richard were able to get records on the overall pop charts. In 1956 Sun records added elements of country and western to produce the kind of rock and roll tradition that produced Buddy Holly.
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
那時的我是個寂寞的年輕人
別著一朵粉紅色的康乃馨，有一輛小貨車
"A White Sport Coat ( And a Pink Carnation )"是 Marty Robbins１９５７年的暢銷單曲。pickup truck 乃年輕人性慾自主的象徵，尤其是在德州。
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing(*)
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
但我明白自己並不走運
在音樂死亡的那一天
我開始唱著......(*)
如今十年了，我們全靠自己熬過來了
唐麥克林寫這首歌的時候，距離 Buddy Holly 飛機失事已有十年。
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
滾動的石頭上長滿了青苔
Bob Dylan１９６５年發行的" Like a Rolling Stone "是他第一首暢銷單曲。之後６６年到７４年，他放棄巡迴演唱，專心在家寫歌，闡揚自己的理念。對 Bob Dylan 來說是個很大的轉變。
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
但，它原來不是這個樣子的
當弄臣（註）為國王與皇后歌唱
弄臣（專事取悅國王的小丑）指的是 Bob Dylan，因為他曾在專輯"自畫像 Self-Portrait" 封面中扮成小丑，在歌曲" Mr. Tambourine Man "自喻為衣衫襤褸的小丑。國王指的是貓王 Elvis Presley，王后指的是 Connie Francis 或 Little Richard。
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
穿著向詹姆斯狄恩借來的外套
電影"養子不教誰之過 Rebel Without a Cause "中，男主角詹姆斯狄恩一襲紅色風衣，是全片的精神象徵。在“ The Freewheeling Bob Dylan ”專輯封面中，Bob Dylan 穿了一件類似的紅色風衣，並擺出姿勢模仿該片著名的一幕。
And a voice that came from you and me
用來自你我的聲音
Bob Dylan 的音樂根源來自美國民歌，美國民歌大將 Pete Seeger 和 Woody Guthrie 的作品靈感均來自民間。
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
當國王低頭
弄臣偷走了荊棘桂冠
比喻 Bob Dylan 在歌壇地位日趨重要，貓王卻日落西山。貓王曾是 Bob Dylan 的偶像之一，Dylan 說過希望自己能像貓王一樣有名。
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
法庭當時休會
沒有任何判決宣判
關於 the Chicago Seven 的判決。
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
當藍尼讀著馬克思主義的書
Lenin 是約翰藍儂的暱稱。藍儂迷上馬克思主義之後，披頭四的歌曲開始染上激進的政治色彩。
The quartet practiced in the park
四重奏在公園裡排練
披頭四最後一場演唱會１９６６年八月２９日於舊金山蠟燭公園舉行。
也可能指 the Weavers 編織者合唱團。該團在麥卡錫主義白色恐怖時代被列入黑名單，唐麥克林六十年代初在紐約的咖啡屋或俱樂部演唱時，與該團團員 Lee Hays 成了好友，也與該團靈魂人物 Pete Seeger 相當熟稔。唐麥克林曾和該團固定在哈德遜河畔某處演唱反污染的歌曲，那些歌有多首收錄在 Pete Seeger 的個人專輯" God Bless the Grass "中。
And we sang dirges in the dark
我們在黑暗中唱著歌
當時許多藝術搖滾的團體專事演繹長篇作品，無法令歌迷隨之起舞。
The day the music died
We were singing(*)
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
在音樂死去的那天
我們唱著......(*)
在酷暑中手忙腳亂
"Helter Skelter"是披頭四在”白色專輯 White album ”中的歌曲，查理斯梅森 Charles Manson 宣稱他受到這首歌的啟示，而帶領他的信徒犯下謀殺案。
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
鳥群飛過輻射塵防護罩
高度為八英哩，急速下降
The Byrd 合唱團１９６６年的專輯" Fifth Dimension "，其中有一首歌" Eight Miles High "因為歌詞中的吸毒暗示而遭禁。
Landed foul on the grass
錯誤的降落在草地上
The Byrd 合唱團的一位團員曾因持有大麻而被捕。
The players tried for a forward pass
球員嘗試把球向前傳
此一足球的暗喻指滾石合唱團等英國團體期望開拓英國以外的市場，直到披頭四成為開路先鋒。
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
靠著邊線上弄臣的幫忙
１９６６年７月２９日，巴布狄倫在他紐約烏史塔克 Woodstock 住家附近撞毀了他的 Triumph 機車，並隱居了九個月來療養。
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
在中場休息時間，空氣中充滿著大麻的香味
這句歌詞指１９６８年召開的民主國際會議 Democratic National Convention 所造成的遊行暴動，" sweet perfume "指催淚瓦斯和大麻。
While sergeants played a marching tune
當士官們奏起了進行曲
指披頭四的經典專輯"胡椒軍曹寂寞芳心俱樂部樂隊 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band "
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
我們都起身準備跳舞
但我們始終沒有機會
披頭四的告別演唱會只唱了三十五分鐘，全場沒有可跳舞的歌曲。
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
因為球員們佔據了球場
樂隊拒絕讓步
指披頭四統治了搖滾樂壇，引領流行藝術音樂的走向。例如 the Beach Boys 海灘少年合唱團１９６６年發行的專輯" Pet Sounds "在錄音室進行了許多電子音效的實驗，雖然比披頭四的"胡椒軍曹寂寞芳心俱樂部樂隊"早發行一年，但銷售極差。
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singing(*)
Oh, and there we were all in one place
你還記得當時透露了什麼訊息嗎？
在音樂死去的那天
我們開始唱著......(*)
我們都聚集在同一個地方
指１９６９年８月１５日在伍史塔克 Woodstock 舉行的音樂節。
A generation lost in space
在太空中迷失的一代
另一種說法是指美國的太空發展計劃，以及當時著名的電視影集”Lost In Space LIS 太空號”。
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
沒有時間可以重振旗鼓
來吧！傑克，快點！
指滾石合唱團的主唱米克傑格 Mick Jagger，" Jumpin' Jack Flash "專輯於１９６８年五月發行。
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
閃電傑克坐在燭臺上
滾石合唱團總是在演唱會中和披頭四互別苗頭。
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
因為火焰是魔鬼唯一的朋友
指死之華合唱團 Grateful Dead 的歌曲" Friend of the Devil "。
接下來的歌詞中，亦指當時的古巴飛彈危機和核子戰爭。
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
當我看到他在舞台上
我憤怒的握緊拳頭
誕生在地獄的天使
也無法破除撒旦的咒語
滾石合唱團１９６９年在 Altamont Speedway 舉辦的演唱會中，僱用名為”地獄天使 the Hell's Angels ”的保全公司作為保鑣，演唱會中散佈在舞台前方的暗處，以制止過度熱情的歌迷。在一場演唱會中，年僅十八歲的黑人歌迷 Meredith Hunter 當場被”地獄天使”的成員在舞台前活活打死。事後輿論大聲譴責該團的歌曲 "同情魔鬼 Sympathy for the Devil " 根本就是在鼓動暴力行為。致使滾石合唱團在往後六年均將這首歌從演唱會曲目中刪除。
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
當火焰升高至夜空
照亮了整個祭典
我看見撒旦高興的大笑
撒旦是指滾石的主唱米克傑格。
The day the music died
He was singing(*)
I met a girl who sang the blues
在音樂死去的那天
他唱著......(*)
我遇到一個唱藍調的女孩
指白人靈魂歌后 Janis Joplin。
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
我向她打聽一些愉快的消息
但她只是笑了笑便轉身而去
Janis Joplin 後來因服用海洛因過量，於１９７０年１０月４日暴斃過世。
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
我走到一家宗教用品店
在那裡，可以聽到好幾年前的音樂
" sacred store "指由 Bill Graham 開設的 Fillmore West，是搖滾樂迷著名的集會場所。也可能指一些可供消費者試聽的大型唱片行。
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
但是店裡的人說那些音樂不能播放
再也沒有人對 Buddy Holly 的音樂感興趣。
And in the streets the children screamed
街頭上的孩子們尖叫著
孩子”指嬉皮族的另一名稱" Flower children 花童"。嬉皮族曾因６９和７０年在柏克來的公園暴動，遭到警方和國際警衛隊的驅離。
關於" Flower children 花童"，請看"到了舊金山，別忘了頭上戴朵花"的歌曲解說。
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
戀人們在哭泣，詩人們作著夢
卻不發一語
指六十年代迷幻音樂的發展走向。
The church bells all were broken
教堂的鐘都殘破不堪
The broken bells 指已過世的藝人，他們再也無法創作出動人的音樂。
And the three men I admire most
the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
我最景仰的三個人──
聖父、聖子與聖靈
聖父、聖子、聖靈分別指 Buddy Holly、The Big Bopper 和 Richie Valens。另一種說法是指約翰甘迺迪、馬丁路德和羅伯甘迺迪。
They caught the last train for the coast
他們都搭乘末班車到海邊去了
指他們均已離開人間。
The day the music died
And they were singing(*)
在音樂死去的那天
他們唱著......(*)
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