Skinner 1 Sloane Skinner Doc Moe COMM 493 22 March 2012 Pentadic Criticism The popular song American

Pie has a contagious melody, but a mysterious meaning. On the surface it seems like other popular songs. Upon a closer look, the song appears to lament the slow decline of the American musical landscape through the 1960s. The popular chorus So, bye bye Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry. Them good ole boys were drinkin whisky and rye singin thisll be the day that I die, is replayed in listeners heads over and over again. By examining the chorus, one does not see McLeans true expression. Diving deeper into the text and past the surface feelings of the song, it is possible to experience the message it conveys. Using the pentadic method I will analyze American Pie and attempt to uncover Don McLeans intention for writing it. First it is important to analyze the act that is taking place. American Pie appears to be a lamentation or an ode to the death of rock n roll legend, Buddy Holly. Don McLeans website confirms that the song is a tribute to him. Knowing this, we can analyze the text with the knowledge that he is paying homage to the death of Holly, most likely because it impacted him. He clearly believes that life was better before the day the music died, which refers to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly in February 1959. According to Don McLeans website, Popular music mirrored society. Performers such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Bill Haley and the Comets churned out feel-good records that matched the

Skinner 2 mood of the nation. The entire song tells a story about life after Hollys death. After his death, music and life in general began to change. The wholesome image of the 1950s began to make way for a more progressive society. American Pie made its debut in 1971, so the song makes references to musicians and pop culture during the 1960s. McLean uses metaphors to represent the agents of the action taking place. The agents are all the musicians after Hollys death, which have caused the demise of pure rock n roll. He makes unconfirmed references to Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, the Byrds, the Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin. The new era of musicians have brought shame to the industry and art of music. With lines like, a generation lost in space with no time left to start again, its obvious that McLeans story is not a happy tale. He seems to be reflecting on the last ten years of music as a decade filled with artists who were nothing like the singer, Buddy Holly. He sings, But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died. He sees the new era as a change for the worse and it is because of the new artists. We may go so far as to say he is ashamed of what music is like. The type of music during this era is not true rock n roll. It is new and filled with new ideologies. The scene of the artifact is the decade of the 1960s. This was a time of great change in America. Music is the reflection of individuals hearts, so the atmosphere in which they are living in is usually reflected. The atmosphere of the 1950s during Buddy Hollys career was opposite to that of the 1960s. In fact, Max Lerner, author of American Agonistes suggests, The most intense decade of accelerativeas distinguished from subversivesocial revolution in American history carried social costs along with it. This decade saw an increase in crime and drugs, ethnic rages, resentment about the choices of the government (Lerner 288). Artists living in this era wrote about their experiences with drugs and sexual

Skinner 3 exploration because it was important to them. Unlike the innocent era of the 1950s, times were quickly changing and music no longer reflected the perfect American society. The entire work is a memorial to the life of Buddy Holly and positive impact he left on the musical landscape. At the end of the song McLean leaves the listener with no hope of a better tomorrow. The purpose of this song is to speak to those who will listen. It is interesting to note that unless a person pays attention to the actual lyrics of the song, he or she will have no idea what it is saying. If the song is taken for face value, it has an enjoyable and catchy tune. However, if you dive deeper, it is filled with pop culture history. Don McLean cleverly writes a song that is both aesthetically and intrinsically pleasing.