# Don Mcleans' American Pie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 1999, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393 "1999-10-30T19:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![floordog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e8cbc/32.png) [@floordog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/floordog)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 1999, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/1 "1999-10-30T19:51:00Z")
could the words"no angel born in hell could break that satan spell" refer to the hells angel who stabbed a man at altamont? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 1999, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/2 "1999-10-30T19:54:00Z")
That’s probably the most common interpretation. There are a number of websites devoted to trying to explain this song, I don’t happen to have any links, but I’m sure someone will provide them ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 1999, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/3 "1999-10-30T21:29:00Z")
But surely you could have provided this one! 😉 [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_398b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html) ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stephen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 1999, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/4 "1999-10-30T23:55:00Z")
Every once in a while, a huge text message gets sent out to much of usenet. It attempts to be the ‘ultimate’ annotation of American Pie. [http://www.deja.com/getdoc.xp?AN=420124853&fmt=text](http://www.deja.com/getdoc.xp?AN=420124853&fmt=text) And, my favorite parody of this project… [http://www.deja.com/getdoc.xp?AN=424512536&fmt=text](http://www.deja.com/getdoc.xp?AN=424512536&fmt=text) * * * Stephen [Stephen’s Website](http://stephen.fathom.org) Satellite Hunting 1.1.0 visible satellite pass prediction shareware available for download at [Satellite Hunting](http://stephen.fathom.org/sathunt.html) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 1999, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/5 "1999-10-31T01:49:00Z")
The lyrics in “American Pie” are meant to be evocative, not literal. There is no reason to assume that any given line has a one-to-one correspondence with anything in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 1999, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/6 "1999-10-31T02:14:00Z")
Best answer yet of what “American Pie” means: “It means I don’t ever have to work again if I don’t want to.” ``` Don Mclean ``` ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 1999, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/7 "1999-10-31T21:43:00Z")
Okay, I’m clueless. What’s this about the Rolling Stones and Altamont? Was there a fire? ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 1999, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/8 "1999-10-31T22:09:00Z")
Lisa: An audience member at Altamont was stabbed, by one of the Hell’s Angels hired to provide security. I’m not up on all the details surrounding the incident, though. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/9 "1999-11-02T00:13:00Z")
To further amplify the story, the Rolling Stones announced a free concert to take place at the Altamont Speedway in Livermore, CA. For security, the Hell’s Angels gang was hired for (according to one account for $500 worth of beer). The Hell’s Angels supposedly used weighted pool cues as weapons and beat several spectators and stabbed one spectator, an African-American named Meredith Hunter, to death. I don’t know if charges were filed, but some witnesses claimed that Hunter had a gun. The film “Gimme Shelter” portrays this event in quite disturbing detail. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/10 "1999-11-02T01:20:00Z")
By the way, the _Rolling Stones_ later claimed that, as Britishers, they had no idea that the Angels had a reputation for violence, so they unknowingly hired them. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/11 "1999-11-02T01:27:00Z")
Unrelated side note: Ever hear the Brady Bunch version of “American Pie”? I’m totally serious- the BRady Bunch recorded it, and when you hear Bobby and Cindy singing about “No angel born in Hell could break that Satan spell” and “Satan laughing with delight,” you’ll either die laughing or sit there in stunned silence at the sheer inappropriateness (whose idea was it for the Bradys to do THAT song? Heck, why not “War Pigs” or “The Lemon Song”?). ---
**Author:** ![Lawrence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Lawrence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawrence)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/12 "1999-11-02T02:33:00Z")
The lyrics to the song are: “No angel born in HEAVEN could break that Satan spell…” ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/13 "1999-11-02T11:42:00Z")
Lawrence, Where the heck did you get that idea from? The word is most certainly “hell”, not “heaven”, as a simple playing of the song will confirm. [http://ynucc.yeungnam.ac.kr/~bwlee/lyrics/ampie.htm](http://ynucc.yeungnam.ac.kr/~bwlee/lyrics/ampie.htm) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/14 "1999-11-02T15:10:00Z")
Thank you so really much! Now all thats going thru my head is that stupid verse!! ---
**Author:** ![Sparky59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@Sparky59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky59)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/15 "2003-01-30T23:18:52Z")
I remember about 15-20 yrs ago hearing an anthology about this song where the mc went through the song verse by verse and translated it. I belive this was on the King Biscuit Flower Hour or one of Casey Casem’s shows. I wish I could remember what show it was because I am curious since I still hear the song all the time. I did a search at the biscuit and there is a cd for sale from a 1972 show. Whether or not it is what I am talking I am not sure. I will continue my search. Sparky ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/16 "2003-01-30T23:25:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Where the heck did you get that idea from? The word is most certainly “hell”, not “heaven” Besides: “Heaven” doesn’t rhyme with “spell”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/17 "2003-01-30T23:30:30Z")
I couldn’t get to the links that **Stephen** posted, and Cecil’s column was kinda short. Here’s another interpretation page: [http://www.tafkac.org/songs/american\_pie\_interpretations.html](http://www.tafkac.org/songs/american_pie_interpretations.html) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/18 "2003-01-30T23:34:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sparky59 \* > \*\*I remember about 15-20 yrs ago hearing an anthology about this song where the mc went through the song verse by verse and translated it. I belive this was on the King Biscuit Flower Hour or one of Casey Casem’s shows. I wish I could remember what show it was because I am curious since I still hear the song all the time. I did a search at the biscuit and there is a cd for sale from a 1972 show. Whether or not it is what I am talking I am not sure. I will continue my search. > > Sparky \*\* McLean has steadfastly refused point blank to give any explanation of the lyrics. Lots of people “remember” such an incident, but it never happened. McLean isn’t that big a fool. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/19 "2003-01-30T23:43:39Z")
I’ll move this thread to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393/20 "2003-01-31T00:39:09Z")
I was told the incident at the Altamont concert take place during Sympathy for the Devil? I was told that Jagger jsut befor the song said “When ever we play this something happens” referring to frequetn tech snafus during the song. Is that what happened or is all that Urban Legend? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-mcleans-american-pie/4393.md?page=2)