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American Pie (Don Mclean)

G    D    Em7      Am            C
A long long time ago I can still remember
         Em                    D         G      D        Em7
How that music used to make me smile and I knew if I had my chance
    Am                  C                Em              C          D   Em
That I could make those people dance and maybe they'd be happy for a while
             Am             Em               Am
But February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver
C        G-B    Am            C              D
Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step
  G       D           Em           Am7            D
I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride
    G         D                          C       D7    G    C-G   G
But something touched me deep inside the day the music died          So

Chorus:
G   C          G      D
Bye Bye Miss American Pie
         G            C             G         D
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
         G        C                  G           D
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
        Em                        A7   Em                        D7
Singin' this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die.

Verse 1:
 G                 Am                  C                Am
Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above?
Em           D                 G     D        Em
If the Bible tells you so.  Do you believe in Rock 'n Roll?
    Am7             C
Can music save your mortal soul?
    Em                A7           D
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
        Em                  D
Well, I know that you're in love with him
           Em              D
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
    C           G-B      A7           C                    D7
You both kicked off your shoes man, I dig those rhythm and blues
        G       D       Em
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
        Am                  C
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck.
    G      D     Em              C       D7    G    C
But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died    I started singin'

Repeat Chorus

Verse 2:
G                            Am
Now for ten years we've been on our own
    C                   Am              Em                    D
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone,  but that's not how it used to be
         G      D            Em
When the jester sang for the King and Queen
     Am7              C
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
      Em         A7        D
And a voice that came from you and me
        Em                 D                 Em               D
Oh, and while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown
    C         G-B     A7        C             D7
The courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned
          G      D      Em                Am                C
And while Lennon read a book on Marx, the quartet practiced in the park
    G        D     Em               C       D7    G    C
And we sang dirges in the dark, the day the music died.   We were singing

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3:
G                   Am
Helter-Skelter in a summer swelter,
        C                     Am
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Em                   D               G      D        Em
Eight miles high and falling fast It landed foul out on the grass
    Am7           C
The players tried for a forward pass
             Em       A7          D
But the jester's on the sidelines in a cast
        Em                D
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
          Em                 D
While the sergeants played a marching tune
C      G-B       A7             C        D7
We all got up to dance, but we never got the chance
           G       D        Em
'Cause the players tried to take the field
    Am         C
The marching band refused to yield
G      D      Em                    C       D7    G  C  G
Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died?   We stared singing

Repeat Chorus

Verse 4:
G                         Am             C          Am
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
Em                   D                         G
With no time left to start again.  So come on, Jack be nimble
Em                 Am7            C
Jack be quick Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
`       Em         A7            D
'Cause fire is the Devil's only friend
        Em               D
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage,
    Em                    D
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
C        G       A7         C                  D7
No angel born in hell could break that Satan's spell
           G              D     Em
And as the flames climbed high into the night
   Am             C
To light the sacrificial rite
      G     D        Em                C      D7     G  C  G
I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died    He was singing

Repeat Chorus

Verse 5:
  G                       Am          C                  Am
I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news
    Em                         D      G                       D
But she just smiled and turned away I went down to the sacred store
          Em              Am7
Where I'd heard the music years before
        Em                 A7             D
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
           Em                   D
And in the streets the children screamed
     Em                         D
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
C         G        A7          C                     D7
But not a word was spoken, the church bells all were broken
    G           D                Em      Am          C
And three men I admire most, the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
     G          D          Em
They caught the last train for the coast,
    C       D7    G    C  G
The day the music died.      And they were singing

Repeat Chorus 2x
American Pie (Don Mclean)
Key: D
G    D    Em7      Am            C

A long long time ago I can still remember
         Em                    D         G      D        Em7

How that music used to make me smile and I knew if I had my chance
    Am                  C                Em              C          D   Em

That I could make those people dance and maybe they'd be happy for a while
             Am             Em               Am

But February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver
C        G-B    Am            C              D

Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step
  G       D           Em           Am7            D

I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride
    G         D                          C       D7    G    C-G   G

But something touched me deep inside the day the music died          So

Chorus:

G   C          G      D

Bye Bye Miss American Pie
         G            C             G         D

Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
         G        C                  G           D

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
        Em                        A7   Em                        D7

Singin' this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die.

Verse 1:

 G                 Am                  C                Am

Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in God above?
Em           D                 G     D        Em

If the Bible tells you so.  Do you believe in Rock 'n Roll?
    Am7             C

Can music save your mortal soul?
    Em                A7           D

And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
        Em                  D

Well, I know that you're in love with him
           Em              D

'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
    C           G-B      A7           C                    D7

You both kicked off your shoes man, I dig those rhythm and blues
        G       D       Em

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
        Am                  C

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck.
    G      D     Em              C       D7    G    C

But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died    I started singin'

Repeat Chorus


Verse 2:

G                            Am

Now for ten years we've been on our own
    C                   Am              Em                    D

And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone,  but that's not how it used to be
         G      D            Em

When the jester sang for the King and Queen
     Am7              C

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
      Em         A7        D

And a voice that came from you and me
        Em                 D                 Em               D

Oh, and while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown
    C         G-B     A7        C             D7

The courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned
          G      D      Em                Am                C

And while Lennon read a book on Marx, the quartet practiced in the park
    G        D     Em               C       D7    G    C

And we sang dirges in the dark, the day the music died.   We were singing

Repeat Chorus


Verse 3:

G                   Am

Helter-Skelter in a summer swelter,
        C                     Am

The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Em                   D               G      D        Em

Eight miles high and falling fast It landed foul out on the grass
    Am7           C

The players tried for a forward pass
             Em       A7          D

But the jester's on the sidelines in a cast
        Em                D

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
          Em                 D

While the sergeants played a marching tune
C      G-B       A7             C        D7

We all got up to dance, but we never got the chance
           G       D        Em

'Cause the players tried to take the field
    Am         C

The marching band refused to yield
G      D      Em                    C       D7    G  C  G

Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died?   We stared singing

Repeat Chorus


Verse 4:

G                         Am             C          Am

Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
Em                   D                         G

With no time left to start again.  So come on, Jack be nimble
Em                 Am7            C

Jack be quick Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
`       Em         A7            D

'Cause fire is the Devil's only friend
        Em               D

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage,
    Em                    D

My hands were clenched in fists of rage
C        G       A7         C                  D7

No angel born in hell could break that Satan's spell
           G              D     Em

And as the flames climbed high into the night
   Am             C

To light the sacrificial rite
      G     D        Em                C      D7     G  C  G

I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died    He was singing

Repeat Chorus


Verse 5:

  G                       Am          C                  Am

I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news
    Em                         D      G                       D

But she just smiled and turned away I went down to the sacred store
          Em              Am7

Where I'd heard the music years before
        Em                 A7             D

But the man there said the music wouldn't play
           Em                   D

And in the streets the children screamed
     Em                         D

The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
C         G        A7          C                     D7

But not a word was spoken, the church bells all were broken
    G           D                Em      Am          C

And three men I admire most, the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
     G          D          Em

They caught the last train for the coast,
    C       D7    G    C  G

The day the music died.      And they were singing

Repeat Chorus 2x


American Pie (Don Mclean)
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

Chorus
Bye Bye Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and 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. Do you believe in Rock 'n 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 I started singin'

Repeat Chorus

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 Lennon 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

Repeat Chorus

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 out on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
But the jester's on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance, 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 stared singing

Repeat Chorus

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 He was singing

Repeat Chorus

Verse 5
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 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

Repeat Chorus 2x