American Pie Chords by Don Mclean

[G] _ A [D] long, [Em] long time ago, _ [Am] _ I can [C] still remember how that [Em] music used to make [D] me smile.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] And I [F#] knew if I [Em] had my chance, [Am] that I could [C] make those people dance, [Em] and maybe they'd
[C] be happy for a [D] while. _ _
_ _ _ [Em] _ But February [Am]
made me shiver [Em] with every paper [Am] I'd deliver.
_ [C] _ [G] Bad news on the [Am] doorstep, _ [C] I couldn't take one more [D] step.
_ _ _ _ [G]
I [D] can't remember [Em] if I cried when [C] I read about [D] his widowed bride.
_ [G] _ [D] Something [Em] touched me _ deep inside [C] the day. _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ The music [G]
died. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ So bye [C]-bye Miss [G] _ [D] American Pie.
[G] Drove my Chevy [C] to the [G] levee, but the [D] levee was dry.
[G] And them good [C] old boys [G] were drinking whiskey [D] and rye, [Em] singing,
This'll be the day that [A] I die.
_ _ _ _ [Em] _
This'll be the day that [D] I die.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ Did you [Am] write the book of [C] love, and do you have faith [Am] in God above,
[Em] if the Bible [D] tells you so? _ _
[G] And do you believe [Em] in rock and roll?
[Am] Can music [G] [C] save your mortal soul?
[Em] And can you [A] teach me how to dance [D] real slow?
_ _ [Em] Well I know that [D] you're in love with him, cause [Em] I saw you [D] dancing in the gym.
[C]
You both [G] kicked [A] off your shoes.
[C] Man I dig [Em] those [D] rhythmic blues.
[G] I was a lonely [D] [Em] teenage bronkin' buck, with [Am] a pink _ [C] carnation and a pickup truck.
[G]
But I [D] knew [Em] I was out of luck [C] the day
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] the music died.
[C] _ _ [G] I [D] started singing, [G]
bye [C]-bye [G] Miss American [D] Pie.
[G] Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the [D] levee was dry.
[G] Them good [C] old boys were [G] drinking whiskey [D] and [Em] rye, and singing,
This'll be the day that [A] I die.
_ _ [Em]
This'll be the day that [D] I die. _ _
_ _ [G] Now for ten years [Am] we've been on our [C] own,
And the moss [G] grows [Am] fat on a rolling stone,
[Em] But that's not [D] how it used to be.
_ _ _ [G] When the jester [D] sang [Em] for the king and queen [A] in a coat he [E] borrowed [C] from James Dean,
[Em] And a voice that [A] came from you [D] and _ me.
_ _ _ [Em] Oh and while the king [D] was looking _ [Em] down,
The jester [D] stole his thorny [G] crown.
[C]
The [G] courtroom [A] was adjourned, _ [C] _
_ _ [D] and the jester's [G] return.
And while Lennon read [Em] a book on Marx,
[Am] A quartet [Em] _ [C] practiced in the park,
[G] And we [Bm] sang [Em] dirges in the dark.
[C] The day _ [D] the _ [G] music died.
[C] _ _ [G] We [D] were singing, [G]
bye [C]-bye [G] Miss [D] American Pie.
[G] Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the [D] levee was dry.
[G] Them good old boys were drinking whiskey [D] and rye, and [Em] singing,
This'll be the [A] day that I die.
_ [Em]
This'll be the day [D] that I die. _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ Helpless [C] skelter in the summer swelter,
The birds flew [Am] off with a fallout [Em] shelter.
_ Eight miles [D] high and falling _ _ _ fast,
[G] _
And landed [Em] foul on the grass.
[Am] The players [Em] tried [C] for a forward pass,
[Em] With the jester on [A] the sidelines in [D] a _ _ cast.
_ _ [Em] Now the halftime air [D] was sweet perfume,
[Em]
While the sergeants [D] played a marching [G] tune.
[C] We [G] all got up and [Am] danced,
[C] Oh, _ _ _ [D] the chance [G] of the [D] players tried [Em] to take the [D] field.
[Am]
The marching [Em] [C] band refused to yield.
[G]
Do [Bm] you recall [Em] what was revealed [C] the day _ [D] the _ [G] music died?
[C] _ _ [G] We [D] started singing, [G]
bye [C] [G]-bye Miss American [D] Pie.
[G] Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee [D] was dry.
[G] Them good old boys were drinking whiskey [D] and rye, and [Em] singing,
This'll be the day that [A] I die.
_ _ [Em]
This'll be the day that [D] I die. _ _ _
_ Oh, [G] and there we [Am] were all in one place,
[C] A generation [Am]
lost in [Em] space,
With no time left [D] to start again.
_ _ So [G] come on, [D] Jack be nimble, [Em] Jack be quick,
[Am]
Jack Flash [G] sat [C] on a _ candlestick,
[Em] Cause _ fire [A] is the devil's [D] only friend.
_ _ _ _ [Em] Oh, and as I watched [D] him on the stage,
[Em] My hands were clenched [D] in fists of [G] rage.
[C]
No [G] angel born [Am] in hell _ [C] could break that [D] Satan's spell.
[G] And as the planes [D] climbed high [Em] into the night,
[Am] To light the [Bm] _ [C] sacrificial rite,
I [G] saw Satan [Em] laughing with delight.
[C] The day the [D] _ _ [G] music died,
[C] _ [G] _ He [D] was singing, [G] bye _ [C]-bye [G] Miss American [D] Pie.
Drove [G] my Chevy [C] to the levee, but [G] the [D] levee was dry.
[G] Them good old [C] [G] boys were drinking whiskey [D] and rye, and [Em] singing,
This'll be the day that [A] I die.
_ _ [Em]
This'll be the day that [D] I die. _ _
_ _ _ _ [G] _ [D] I met a girl who [Em] sang the blues,
_ [Am] And I asked her for [C] some happy news,
_ [Em] But she just smiled [D] and turned away. _ _
_ [G] I went [Bm] down [Em] to the sacred [G] store,
[Am] Where I'd heard [G] the music [C] years before,
[Em] But the man there said [C] the music _ _ [D] wouldn't _ play. _
_ _ _ [Em] And in the streets [A] the [Am] children screamed,
[Em] The lovers [A] cried and the [Am] poets dreamed,
[C] _ But not a [G]
word [Am] was spoken,
_ [Bm] _ [C] The church bells [D] all were broken. _ _ _ _
[G] And the [D] three men [Em] I admire [G] most,
_ [C] The Father, Son, and [D] the Holy Ghost,
[C] _ [G] They [D] caught the last [Em] train for [D] the coast
[C] The day _ [D]
the _ music _ _ [G] died.
_ _ _ And they were singing, _ _ bye [C]-bye _ [G]
Miss American [D] Pie.
[G] Drove my Chevy to [C] the [G] levee, but the [D] levee was dry.
[G] Them good [C] old boys were [G] drinking [D] whiskey and rye, _ [Em]
and singing,
This'll be the day that [A] I die.
_ [Em] _ _ _ This'll be the day that [D] I die. _ _ _
They [Am] were singing, [G] bye _ -bye Miss [D] American Pie.
[G] Drove my Chevy [C] to the [G] levee, but the levee [D] was dry.
[G] Them good old [C] boys were [G] drinking whiskey [D] and rye, [C] and singing,
[D] This'll be the day that [G] I die.
[C] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _