American Pie
Graham BLVD Lyrics

So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Goodbye to the innocence and purity of America

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
I tried to find solace but it was not available

And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
The people indulged in alcohol to numb their pain

Singin' this'll be the day that I die
Acknowledging the destruction of the old way of life

Did you write the book of love
Do you understand what love is?

And do you have faith in God above
Do you believe in a higher power?

If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe what you're told or think for yourself?

Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Do you believe in the power of music?

Can music save your mortal soul?
Can music provide salvation for the soul?

And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Can you show me how to enjoy life and take it easy?

Well, I know that you're in love with him
I know you're in love with someone else

'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
I witnessed your act of infidelity

You both kicked off your shoes
You both let go of your inhibitions

Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I appreciate your taste in music

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
I was a lonely teenager trying to find my place in the world

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
I tried to put on an image of toughness and strength

But I knew I was out of luck
But I knew deep down that it wouldn't work

The day the music died
The day when everything changed and the old way of life was lost

Now for ten years we've been on our own
For the past decade, we've been navigating this new way of life by ourselves

And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
The world moves on and leaves us behind

But that's not how it used to be
But the past was different and better in some way

When the jester sang for the king and queen
When the funny man amused the leader and his people

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
In an image taken from a movie icon

And a voice that came from you and me
In an expression of the people's collective voice

Oh, and while the king was looking down
While the leader was too focused on himself

The jester stole his thorny crown
The funny man took away the leader's power

The courtroom was adjourned
The system failed and justice was not served

No verdict was returned
No judgment was made in the case

And while Lenin read a book on Marx
While communist leaders studied their ideologies

The quartet practiced in the park
The musicians honed their craft in public spaces

And we sang dirges in the dark
And we mourned in the shadows

Helter skelter in a summer swelter
Confusion and chaos in the heat of the moment

The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
The world was so messed up that even the birds fled with a shelter

Eight miles high and falling fast
The world was in a dizzying, rapid state of decline

It landed foul on the grass
Its crash was ungraceful and disturbing

The players tried for a forward pass
They tried to do something bold and daring, but it failed

With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Even the funny man wasn't immune to the chaos

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
The brief moment of peace was oddly soothing

While the sergeants played a marching tune
The military leaders reminded us of war and its threats

We all got up to dance
We tried to make the most of what little joy we could find

Oh but we never got the chance
We were robbed of our moment of happiness

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The people tried to take action and change things

The marching band refused to yield
But the authorities and leaders refused to give up their power

Do you recall what was revealed
Do you remember what happened?

The day the music died?
When everything was lost and over

Oh, and there we were all in one place
We were together in this moment of despair

A generation lost in space
We were disconnected from our purpose and sense of belonging

With no time left to start again
We had no second chances or opportunities left

So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
We need to be brave and swift in our actions

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
We need to remain optimistic and positive despite the darkness

'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
We need to be careful and avoid making things worse

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
As I watched someone trying to bring hope and light

My hands were clenched in fists of rage
I felt anger and frustration at the situation

No angel born in Hell
No pure, innocent being could have survived and thrived in that world

Could break that Satan's spell
Even the most powerful, good beings could not overcome the evil in the world

And as the flames climbed high into the night
As the threat of destruction and chaos became more intense

To light the sacrificial rite
To fuel the destruction of the old world

I saw Satan laughing with delight
I felt helpless and watched as evil reveled in the chaos

The day the music died
The day when hope and order were lost and the old way of life was destroyed

I met a girl who sang the blues
I met someone who understood the pain and loss we were experiencing

And I asked her for some happy news
I asked for hope and something positive to hold onto

But she just smiled and turned away
She didn't have any answer or solution to offer

I went down to the sacred store
I tried to find something to hold onto and cling to

Where I'd heard the music years before
Where I had gone to find hope and joy in the past

But the man there said the music wouldn't play
But the world had moved on and there was no hope to be found in the past

And in the streets, the children screamed
The younger generation was in turmoil and distress

The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
The romantics and artists held onto hope and inspiration

But not a word was spoken
But nobody had any solution or answer to the problems

The church bells all were broken
Even religion and spirituality couldn't provide answers or hope

And the three men I admire most
The figures I looked up to and respected the most

The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
The Christian trinity that represented hope and salvation

They caught the last train for the coast
Even the most powerful and hopeful figures had abandoned the world

The day the music died
The day when everything was finally over and there was no hope left