American Pie
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 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, theyd be happy for a while.
But feb-ru-ar-y made me shiver
With every paper Id deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldnt take one more step.
I cant 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 am-er-ic-an pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
Singin, "thisll be the day that I die.
"thisll 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?
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 youre 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 lon__ely 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'
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-1 -5 -5 -5 -4 3 A long, long time ago... 4 -3 4 4 -4 -3 I can still remember 3 -2* 3 -2* 3 -2* 3 -2* -1 3 -2* 2 -2* How that music used to make me smile. -1 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 6 3 And I knew if I had my chance 3 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 -4 4 That I could make those people dance -3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 -4 -3 -2* And, maybe, theyd be happy for a while. 2 -4 -4 -4 -4 5 -4 3 -4 But feb-ru-ar-y made me shiver -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 5 -4 3 2 With every paper Id deliver. 3 3 3 -2* 2 3 Bad news on the doorstep; -3 3 -3 -4 6 -5 -4 I couldnt take one more step. -4 6 -5 -5 -4 5 -4 3 I cant remember if I cried -2* 2 -3 -4 4 -4 -3 -4 -3 When I read about his widowed bride, -3 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -3 3 2 But something touched me deep inside 3 2 3 5 -4 3 The day the music died. -1 -5 5 5 -4 -4 -3 3 -3 So bye-bye, miss am-er-ic-an pie. -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 Drove my chevy to the levee, 4 -4 -4 -3 3 -1 But the levee was dry. -5 -5 -5 4 4 4 -4 -4 -3 3 -3 And them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye -4 -3 3 2 3 2 3 -2* 2 03 Singin, "thisll be the day that I die. 3 2 3 2 3 -2* 2 -2* "thisll be the day that I die." -5 6 -5 -5 -5 4 -4 Did you write the book of love, -3 -4 4 -4 5 -4 5 -4 3 And do you have faith in God above, 3 3 3 -2* 3 -2* -1 If the Bible tells you so? -5 6 -5 -5 -4 -5 -5 6 Do you believe in rock n roll, -4 -5 -3 -5 5 -4 -3 4 Can music save your mortal soul, -4 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 -4 -4 And can you teach me how to dance real slow? -4 4 6 -4 -4 -4 4 -4 -5 Well, I know that youre in love with him 5 -4 6 -4 -4 -4 5 -4 -5 `cause I saw you dancin in the gym. -4 4 -4 -3 3 -4 You both kicked off your shoes. 7 7 7 7 7 7 -7 -6* Man, I dig those rhythm and blues. -8 7 6 7 6 -5 -5 -5 -5 -5 6 I was a lon__ely teenage broncin buck -4 -4 -3 -4 4 -4 4 -4 -5 -4 -3 With a pink carnation and a pickup truck, -4 -4 7 6 -5 -5 -5 -4 But I knew I was out of luck 3 3 -4 4 -4 3 The day the music died. -5 -5 -5 6 -5 I started singin' "bye-bye, miss american pie." Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye And singin, "thisll be the day that I die. "thisll be the day that I die."