Don Mclean《American Pie》美国派
《American Pie》美国派
歌手：Don McLean
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
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But that's not how it used to be
它原來不是這個樣子的
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
We were singing(*)
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 dancing 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
I started singing(*)
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
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
當火焰升高至夜空
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing(*)
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
我走到一家宗教用品店
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 singing(*)
So... *Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
1971年美国民谣歌手Don McLean写下了一首超长的歌曲《American Pie》。这首歌不仅使他一夜成名，也让他和他的这首作品一直流传到了21世纪的今天。
《American Pie》堪称一首史诗式的作品，纵观全球乐坛，能将一首长达8分34秒的歌曲唱得不仅不让人生厌，还让人们津津乐道并传颂几十年的现象可谓少之又少，而唐·麦克林和他的《American Pie》就做到了，如果作品里没有引人入胜的叙事性、没有内蕴幽远的深刻性，很难相信人们真会傻呆呆地将这么长的时间消耗在一首歌曲里。
《American Pie》是用音乐记录美国六十年代历史的一首史诗，没有春风得意的赞美，也没有针锋相对的批判，有的只是在轻快的民谣节奏中娓娓地道来——那里面有整整一个时代美国人所见、所思、所想，以及所经历的往事，而事实上正是这样不带主观评述的质朴歌声，最终打动了一代又一代的美国人，甚至是美国以外的人。