american pie by don mclean
tabbed by : brian jenkins
G 320033
D xx0232
D7 xx0121
Em 022000
Am x02210
Am7 x02010
1st verse :
G D Em
a long , long time ago ,
Am C Em D
i can still remember how that music used to make me smile
G D Em
and i know if i had my chance ,
Am C Em C D
that i could make those people dance and maybe they’d be happy for a while
Em Am Em Am
but february made me shiver , with every paper i’d deliver
C G Am C D
bad news on the doorstep , i couldn’t take one more step
G D Em Am7 D
i can’t remember if i cried when i read about his widowed bride ,
G D Em
something touched me deep inside ,
C D7 G
the day the music died
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
2nd verse :
G Am
did you write the book of love
C Am Em D
and do you have faith in god above , if the bible tells you so
G D Em
do you believe in rock and roll ,
Am7 C Em A7 D
can music save your mortal soul and can you teach me how to dance real slow
Em D Em D
well i know that you’re in love with him ’cause i saw you dancin’ in the gym
C A7 C D7
you both kicked off your shoes , man i dig those rhythm and blues
G D Em Am C
i was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck with a pink carnation and a pickup truck
G D Em C D7 G C G
but i knew i was out of luck the day the music died
i started singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
3rd verse :
G Am
now for ten years we’ve been on our own ,
C Am Em D
and moss grows fat on a rolling stone but that’s not how it used to be
G D Em
when the jester sang for the king and queen
Am7 C Em A7 D
in a coat he borrowed from james dean in a voice that came from you and me
Em D Em D
and while the king was looking down , the jester stole his thorny crown
C A7 C D7
the courtroom was adjourned , no verdict was returned
G D Em Am C
and while lenin read a book on marx , the quartet practiced in the park
G D Em C D7 G C G
and we sang dirges in the dark the day the music died
we were singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
4th verse :
G Am
helter skelter in a summer swelter ,
C Am Em D
the birds flew off with a fallout shelter , eight miles high and fallin’ fast ,
G D Em
it landed foul on the grass
Am7 C Em A7 D
the players tried for a forward pass , with the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Em D Em D
now at halftime there was sweet perfume , while sergeants played a marching tune
C A7 C D7
we all got up to dance , but we never got the chance
G D Em Am C
’cause the players tried to take the field , the marching band refused to yield
G D Em C D7 G C G
do you recall what was the feel the day the music died
we started singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
5th verse :
G Am
and there we were all in one place ,
C Am Em D
a generation lost in space , with no time left to start again
G D Em Am7 C
so come on jack be nimble , jack be quick , jack flash sat on a candlestick ,
Em A7 D
’cause fire is the devil’s only friend
Em D Em D
and as i watched him on the stage , my hands were clenched in fists of rage
C A7 C D7
no angel born in hell could bread that satan’s spell
G D Em Am C
and as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite
G D Em C D7 G C G
i saw satan laughing with delight the day the music died
he was singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
6th verse :
G D Em
i met a girl who sang the blues
Am C Em D
and i asked her for some happy news , but she just smiled and turned away
G D Em
i went down to the sacred store
Am C Em C
where i’d heard the music years before , but the man there said the music
D
wouldn’t play
Em Am Em Am
but in the streets the children screamed , the lovers cried and the poets dreamed
C Am C D
but not a word was spoken , the church bells all were broken
G D Em Am7 C D7
and the three men i admire most , the father , son , and the holy ghost
G D Em Am7 D7 G
they caught the last train for the coast the day the music died ,
and they were singin’
chorus/outro :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
C D7 G
singin’ this will be the day that i die
american pie by don mclean
tabbed by : brian jenkins
G 320033
D xx0232
D7 xx0121
Em 022000
Am x02210
Am7 x02010
1st verse :
G D Em
a long , long time ago ,
Am C Em D
i can still remember how that music used to make me smile
G D Em
and i know if i had my chance ,
Am C Em C D
that i could make those people dance and maybe they’d be happy for a while
Em Am Em Am
but february made me shiver , with every paper i’d deliver
C G Am C D
bad news on the doorstep , i couldn’t take one more step
G D Em Am7 D
i can’t remember if i cried when i read about his widowed bride ,
G D Em
something touched me deep inside ,
C D7 G
the day the music died
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
2nd verse :
G Am
did you write the book of love
C Am Em D
and do you have faith in god above , if the bible tells you so
G D Em
do you believe in rock and roll ,
Am7 C Em A7 D
can music save your mortal soul and can you teach me how to dance real slow
Em D Em D
well i know that you’re in love with him ’cause i saw you dancin’ in the gym
C A7 C D7
you both kicked off your shoes , man i dig those rhythm and blues
G D Em Am C
i was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck with a pink carnation and a pickup truck
G D Em C D7 G C G
but i knew i was out of luck the day the music died
i started singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
3rd verse :
G Am
now for ten years we’ve been on our own ,
C Am Em D
and moss grows fat on a rolling stone but that’s not how it used to be
G D Em
when the jester sang for the king and queen
Am7 C Em A7 D
in a coat he borrowed from james dean in a voice that came from you and me
Em D Em D
and while the king was looking down , the jester stole his thorny crown
C A7 C D7
the courtroom was adjourned , no verdict was returned
G D Em Am C
and while lenin read a book on marx , the quartet practiced in the park
G D Em C D7 G C G
and we sang dirges in the dark the day the music died
we were singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
4th verse :
G Am
helter skelter in a summer swelter ,
C Am Em D
the birds flew off with a fallout shelter , eight miles high and fallin’ fast ,
G D Em
it landed foul on the grass
Am7 C Em A7 D
the players tried for a forward pass , with the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Em D Em D
now at halftime there was sweet perfume , while sergeants played a marching tune
C A7 C D7
we all got up to dance , but we never got the chance
G D Em Am C
’cause the players tried to take the field , the marching band refused to yield
G D Em C D7 G C G
do you recall what was the feel the day the music died
we started singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
5th verse :
G Am
and there we were all in one place ,
C Am Em D
a generation lost in space , with no time left to start again
G D Em Am7 C
so come on jack be nimble , jack be quick , jack flash sat on a candlestick ,
Em A7 D
’cause fire is the devil’s only friend
Em D Em D
and as i watched him on the stage , my hands were clenched in fists of rage
C A7 C D7
no angel born in hell could bread that satan’s spell
G D Em Am C
and as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite
G D Em C D7 G C G
i saw satan laughing with delight the day the music died
he was singin’
chorus :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Em A7 Em D7
singin’ this will be the day that i die , this will be the day that i die
6th verse :
G D Em
i met a girl who sang the blues
Am C Em D
and i asked her for some happy news , but she just smiled and turned away
G D Em
i went down to the sacred store
Am C Em C
where i’d heard the music years before , but the man there said the music
D
wouldn’t play
Em Am Em Am
but in the streets the children screamed , the lovers cried and the poets dreamed
C Am C D
but not a word was spoken , the church bells all were broken
G D Em Am7 C D7
and the three men i admire most , the father , son , and the holy ghost
G D Em Am7 D7 G
they caught the last train for the coast the day the music died ,
and they were singin’
chorus/outro :
G C G D
so bye , bye miss american pie
G C G D
drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
G C G D
and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
C D7 G
singin’ this will be the day that i die
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