In the beginning of the song, he starts out saying, "A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music made me smile. And I knew if I had a chance, that I could make those people dance, and maybe they'd be happy for a while." This line is talking about how when he was a child he listened to great performers of his time and how he could do the same and make other teenagers happy with his song and make them want to dance and be merry.

"But February made me shiver, with every paper I'd deliver, bad news on the doorstep. I couldn't take one more step, I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride. But something touched me deep inside, the day the music died." This line is the day back in February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash. As a child, McLean was a paper boy and the news papers that were being passed that day was spreading "bad" news to everyone's' doorstep and Buddy Holly's wife was pregnant when he died and later she had a miscarriage. That date, was also referred to the "day music died."

"Bye bye Miss American Pie, I drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry. Them good old' boys were drinking' whiskey and rye, Signing This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die." This is the chorus line. Miss American Pie was someone McLean had dated as a teenager. It was rumored he was dating a Miss American candidate at the time. It is also referring to saying good by to the plane that had all three performers. The levee refers to a Movie called Mississippi Burning, which was about three college students registering to vote as black voters, but were killed and dragged to a levee. Them good old' boys refers to Holly, Valens, and Bopper. Holly had a song called "That'll be the day" that had the lyrics, "That'll be the day that I die."

Looking through the other lyrics, McLean talks about everything going on during the 50's, 60's, and the 70's. He talks about the death of John F. Kennedy. The lyrics, "But that's not how it used to be when the jester sang for the king and queen, in a coat he borrowed from James dean and a voice that came from you and me, oh and while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown. The courtroom was adjourned, no verdict was returned." best describes it. The jester some say was Lee Harvey Oswald who shouted before he was shot for the murder of the King. It also shows how the jester stole the crown from the king by killing home. The courtroom was adjourned and no verdict was returned refers to how no one knows how Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy with one bullet and hitting the vice president.

McLean also discusses other things that happened in the U.S. The lyrics, "The players tried for a forward pass, with the jest on the sidelines in a cast Now the half-time air was sweet perfume, while sergeants played a marching tune we all got up to dance, oh but we never got the chance" refers to how the Rolling Stones were waiting for a big opening, but couldn't happen until The Beatles broke up. The jester in this line is referring to Bob Dylan, who crashed his motorcycle in his hometown. The sweet perfume refers to the 1968 Democratic National Convention where they had released tear gas. The marching tune, was the draft started.

American Pie has lots of interpretations, but I believe that it refers to things that happened to the U.S. that made music start to slow down, and how things became better for the music to be what everyone loves. This song is a very good song because it not only tells a story, but it also has a great melody that matches what McLean wanted to say.