Don McLean - American Pie

0[Verse 1]
1
  G0     D/F#1    Em72
2a long, long time ago,
Am3            C4                  Em5                  D6
3I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
    G7      D/F#8   Em79
4And I know if I had my chance,
     Am10                 C11                Em12              C13            D14
5That I could make those people dance and maybe they'd be happy for a while
    Em15       Am16              Em17                 Am18
6But February made me shiver, with every paper I'd deliver
C19        G20      Am21             C22                     D23
7Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step
  G24          D/F#25     Em26           Am727            D28
8I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
G29         D30          Em31
9Something touched me deep inside
    C32      D733      G34
10The day the music died
11
12
13[Chorus]
14
   G35    C36        G37        D38
15So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G39            C40            G41        D42
16Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G43        C44                  G45           D46
17And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        Em47                          A748    Em49                          D750
18Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
19
20
21[Verse 2]
22
G51                 Am52
23Did you write the book of love
       C53                 Am54         Em55           D56
24And do you have faith in god above, if the bible tells you so?
G57      D/F#58        Em59
25Do you believe in rock and roll
    Am760            C61              Em62                 A763           D64
26Can music save your mortal soul and can you teach me how to dance real slow?
       Em65                   D66                    Em67              D68
27Well I know that you're in love with him 'cuz I saw you dancin' in the gym
    C69           G70        A771           C72                    D773
28You both kicked off your shoes, man I dig those rhythm and blues
        G74      D/F#75     Em76                   Am77                   C78
29I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck with a pink carnation and a pickup truck
    G79     D/F#80    Em81              C82       D783    G84  C85  G86
30But I knew I was out of luck the day the music died, I started singin'
31
32
33[Chorus]
34
   G87    C88        G89        D90
35So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G91            C92            G93        D94
36Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G95        C96                  G97           D98
37And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        Em99                          A7100    Em101                          D7102
38Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
39
40
41[Verse 3]
42
         G103                   Am104
43Now for ten years we've been on our own,
      C105                   Am106          Em107                     D108
44and moss grows fat on a rolling stone but that's not how it used to be
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45When the jester sang for the king and queen
     Am7112                C113                   Em114             A7115          D116
46in a coat he borrowed from James Dean in a voice that came from you and me
     Em117                  D118                Em119                  D120
47And while the king was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown
     C121        G122          A7123    C124             D7125
48The courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned
          G126        D/F#127  Em128             Am129           C130
49And while Lenin read a book on Marx, the quartet practiced in the park
    G131        D/F#132   Em133             C134         D7135     G136  C137  G138
50And we sang dirges in the dark the day the music died, we were singin'
51
52
53[Chorus]
54
   G139    C140        G141        D142
55So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G143            C144            G145        D146
56Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G147        C148                  G149           D150
57And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        Em151                          A7152    Em153                          D7154
58Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
59
60
61[Verse 4]
62
G155                   Am156
63Helter skelter in a summer swelter
C157                      Am158                 Em159                     D160
64the birds flew off with a fallout shelter, eight miles high and fallin' fast
      G161   D/F#162  Em163
65It landed foul on the grass
      Am7164                C165            Em166                             A7167     D168
66the players tried for a forward pass, with the jester on the sidelines in a cast
         Em169                D170                  Em171                  D172
67Now at halftime there was sweet perfume, while sergeants played a marching tune
C173          G174        A7175      C176                  D7177
68We all got up to dance, but we never got the chance
          G178      D/F#179      Em180                 Am181              C182
69'Cuz the players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield
    G183    D/F#184       Em185              C186        D7187       G188  C189  G190
70Do you recall what was the feel the day the music died,    we started singin'
71
72
73[Chorus]
74
   G191    C192        G193        D194
75So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G195            C196            G197        D198
76Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G199        C200                  G201           D202
77And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        Em203                          A7204    Em205                          D7206
78Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
79
80
81[Verse 5]
82
     G207                Am208
83And there we were all in one place,
    C209        Am210            Em211                   D212
84a generation lost in space, with no time left to start again
            G213      D/F#214   Em215               Am7216                 C217
85So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack Flash sat on a candle
       Em218                   A7219             D220
86stick, 'cuz fire is the devil's only friend
     Em221               D222                Em223                     D224
87And as I watched him on the stage, my hands were clenched in fists of rage
   C225      G226       A7227         C228                  D7229
88No angel born in Hell could break that Satan's spell
           G230            D/F#231      Em232             Am233              C234
89And as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite
       G235   D/F#236           Em237           C238      D7239      G240  C241  G242
90I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died,     he was singin'
91
92
93[Chorus]
94
   G243    C244        G245        D246
95So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G247            C248            G249        D250
96Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G251        C252                  G253           D254
97And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        Em255                          A7256    Em257                          D7258
98Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
99
100
101[Verse 6]
102
  G259    D/F#260       Em261
103I met a girl who sang the blues
      Am262                 C263               Em264                      D265
104And I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away
  G266       D/F#267      Em268
105I went down to the sacred store
       Am269              C270                     Em271                 C272
106Where I'd heard the music years before, but the man there said the music
         D273
107wouldn't play
    Em274                 Am275                     Em276                   Am277
108But in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried and the poets dreamed
    C278     G279        Am280          C281                     D282
109But not a word was spoken, the church bells all were broken
        G283       D/F#284   Em285            Am7286     C287             D7288
110And the three men I admire most, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
G289             D/F#290          Em291               Am7292     D7293    G294
111They caught the last train for the coast the day the music died,
112N.C.
113And they were singin'
114
115
116[Chorus]
117
   G295    C296        G297        D298
118So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G299            C300            G301        D302
119Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G303        C304                  G305           D306
120And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        Em307                          A7308    Em309                          D7310
121Singin' this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die
   G311    C312        G313        D314
122So bye, bye Miss American Pie
         G315            C316            G317        D318
123Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
         G319        C320                  G321           D322
124And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
        C323                D7324         G325   C326   G327
125Singin' this will be the day that I die.
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