American pie song by Don Mc lean.

Don Mclean was asked what American Pie meant and responded:

"It means I don't ever have to work again".

All I knew was the jester was bob dylan and the king was elvis as you've mentioned.

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

Never considered that it was some big secret, just used to song lyrics sometimes being impenetrable.

The 'Sergeants' bit before is supposedly about The Beatles taking over from Dylan in importance
Dylan was away and Beatles released 4 unbeatable albums 'Revolver' to 'Abbey Rd'
refusing to yield their supremacy

The 'revealed' bit was the dawn of a dark, political time (race, Vietnam, scandals, riots)
after the innocence of the 50s

The people were enlightened/aware now

Jack Flash referred to Jagger & the Stones IIRC.

Don himself seems to be very secretive about the whole song,and said he would explain all when the rights went for sale,but after the sale he only give a few hints about it.

The girl who sang the blues and turned away (died) is more than like Janis Joplin

* likely

And while Lenin read a book on Marx  REF TO JOHN LENNON?
The quartet practiced in the park   THE BEATLES
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died


[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter   REF TO BEATLES SONG?
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter  THE BAND THE BIRDS
Eight miles high and falling fast   REF TO BIRDS SONG
It landed foul on the grass  SOMEONE GETTING ARRESTED FOR SMOKING WEED?
The players tried for a forward pass  REF TO THE BEATLES DOING WELL WHILE....
With the jester on the sidelines in a casT  DYLAN WAS LAID UP AFTER MOTORBIKE ACCIDENT


Just thinking out loud here, this is quite interesting.

While the sergeants played a marching tune..

Yeah poppy sounds right here.  Wasn't one or more of the beatles song with a marching tune.  "all you need is love" mebbe, can't quite recall.

I frequently point out that I have sung this song with Don which gets a 'Wow!' - until I go on to say that there were another eight hundred people in the audience that night.

William

And while Lenin (LENNON) read a book on Marx  REF TO JOHN LENNON?
The quartet practiced in the park   THE BEATLES
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died


[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter  Manson Killings
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter  THE BAND THE BIRDS BYRDS STONES GIMEE SHELTER
Eight miles high and falling fast   REF TO BIRDS SONG BYRDS
It landed foul on the grass  SOMEONE GETTING ARRESTED FOR SMOKING WEED?
The players tried for a forward pass  REF TO THE BEATLES DOING WELL WHILE....
With the jester on the sidelines in a casT  DYLAN WAS LAID UP AFTER MOTORBIKE ACCIDENT

now I know why it is such a fantastic song.
every line has a meaning or ref to something going on at the time.

This video takes you through the song with images for each line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhX3b1h7GQw&feature=youtu.be

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?


I seem to remember the clever money on this was that it was about The Kent State University Shootings, but I may have misremembered.

Personally I think the whole song is a load of very clever, tricksy wordplay, that, as McLean himself said meant nothing except him never having to work again.

Thanks for posting Tambourine Man.

I take you are a Dylan fan as well?

rob_dylan     23 Sep 15 12:49 
While the sergeants played a marching tune..

Yeah poppy sounds right here.  Wasn't one or more of the beatles song with a marching tune.  "all you need is love" mebbe, can't quite recall.




Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

[Intro]
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they’d be happy for a while

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

[Chorus]
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”

[Verse 1]
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 and roll?
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 dancin’ in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

[Chorus]
I started singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”

[Verse 2]
Now for 10 years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone
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

And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died

[Chorus]
We were singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”

[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, ‘Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

[Chorus]
We started singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
And singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”

[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan’s spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
And singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”

[Outro]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
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

And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

And they were singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”

[Chorus]
They were singin’ bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
And singin’ “This’ll be the day that I die”
but we never got the chance

Maybe he sent that letter to ask if the end was worth the means ?!!

Buddy use to sing a song called "THAT will be the day when I die"

Have never thought about it too closely but I love it, a truly brilliant song that I am always delighted by when it comes on.

A song that if it was yours you could look back on with immense pride forever knowing that when you go you had left something great for people to remember you by.

If you are not a Don Mclean fan  check out 'Prime Time' which has
very clever observational  lyrics.
Another classic is Homeless Brother.

Never as good after splitting from Peter Glaze.

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


I've always took that be reference to the postman delivering the telegrams informing families of the death of a loved one

serving in Vietnam

or the paper boy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHJH-NQnyrc

That is probably the most ambiguous line of the whole song, I always thought it was some reference to Woodstock - when a farmer's field became the scene for the most famous festival in rock history:

"Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died.....

And there we were all in one place"