american pie (Complete lyrics)
by Don McLean · harmonica tab for C diatonic harmonica
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The tab
4 = blow hole 4-4 = draw hole 4’ = bend
A long, long time a--go
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 3 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
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? 5 -5 -6 5 5 5 -5 5 6
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues 8 7 -6 7 6 6 6 6 6 -6
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing 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
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
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
So 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
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
Helter skelter in the 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 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?
I started singing 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
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
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 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
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned a-way
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 -4 5 5 5 5 -5 5 -4
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died 3 6 6 -6 6 6 -5 -5 5 5 -4 4 -4
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
They were singing, 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
Singing this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die
Show the tab as it was submitted
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