American Pie – English Lyrics
Lyrics & Translation
Discover Madonna's unique take on the iconic "American Pie" and delve into the cultural impact of this dance-pop cover. Explore how Madonna transformed a classic folk song into a millennium anthem, sparking both praise and controversy.
[English]
A long, long time agoI can still remember
How that music used to make me smile
And I knew that if I had my chance
I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
Did you write the book of love?
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in Rock 'n' roll?
And can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him 'cause I
Saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes (Both kicked off your shoes)
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage bronking buck
With a pink carnation and a pick-up truck but I
Knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this will be the day that I die
This will be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues and I
Asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
Well, I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
Well now, in the streets the children screamed (The children screamed)
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed (The poets dreamed)
But not a word was spoken (Not a word was spoken)
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire the most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
We started singing
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
We started singing
We started singing
We started singing
We started singing
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
|
remember /rɪˈmɛmbər/ A2 |
|
|
dance /dæns/ A1 |
|
|
faith /feɪθ/ B1 |
|
|
soul /soʊl/ B1 |
|
|
rhythm /ˈrɪðəm/ B1 |
|
|
blues /bluːz/ B2 |
|
|
sacred /ˈseɪkrɪd/ B2 |
|
|
scream /skrim/ A2 |
|
|
poet /ˈpoʊɪt/ B1 |
|
|
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2 |
|
|
coast /koʊst/ A2 |
|
|
whiskey /ˈhwɪski/ A2 |
|
|
levee /ˈlɛvi/ B2 |
|
|
mortal /ˈmɔrtəl/ B2 |
|
|
carnation /kɑrˈneɪʃən/ B2 |
|
|
admire /ædˈmaɪər/ B1 |
|
What does “remember” mean in the song "American Pie"?
Learn fast – go deep – and remember longer with interactive exercises in the app!
Key Grammar Structures
-
I can still remember
➔ Present Perfect
➔ The phrase 'I can still remember' uses the Present Perfect to indicate an action that started in the past and continues to the present or has present relevance.
-
If the Bible tells you so
➔ If Clause (Type 1)
➔ The phrase 'If the Bible tells you so' is a Type 1 If Clause, used to talk about a real or likely situation in the present or future.
-
And can music save your mortal soul?
➔ Modal Verb (Can)
➔ The word 'can' in 'And can music save your mortal soul?' is a modal verb used to express ability or possibility.
-
You both kicked off your shoes
➔ Past Simple (with 'both' for emphasis)
➔ The sentence 'You both kicked off your shoes' uses the Past Simple with 'both' to emphasize that two people performed the action.
-
The day the music died
➔ Noun Clause (Subject)
➔ The phrase 'The day the music died' is a noun clause functioning as the subject of the sentence, referring to a specific event.
-
We started singing
➔ Past Continuous
➔ The phrase 'We started singing' uses the Past Continuous to describe an action that began in the past and continued for a period of time.
