The day the music died? More like the day the music was effortlessly revived by Madonna. The entertainer put her own spin on Don McLean’s anthemic ballad, “American Pie”, 26 years ago today. Honestly, we gotta take a moment to thank the pop music gods for this one.
Initially, Madonna released the song to promote her 2000 film The Next Best Thing, which didn’t do all that well. However, “American Pie” did give Madonna her 50th No. 1. By April, it was gracing the top of the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
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The original version of the song is over eight minutes long. However, Madonna cut hers down to be about four and a half minutes.
According to an interview with Billboard, McLean actually sees her take on the song as “a gift from a goddess.”
“It is a gift for her to have recorded ‘American Pie,’” the songwriter shared. “I also feel that she’s chosen autobiographical verses that reflect her career and personal history. I have received many gifts from God but this is the first time I have ever received a gift from a goddess.”
Regardless, though, If you look at the lyrical content of both versions, they actually differ significantly.
What Is The Original “American Pie”About?
In the music video for “American Pie”, a 40-something Madonna dances around in front of an American flag backdrop, wearing a tiara. However, for those who haven’t heard the original “American Pie”, the song actually touches on a number of heavy topics. Some are pretty surprising, given the upbeat tune that’s backing the lyrics.
McLean not only sings of the deaths of many of his musical heroes (“the day the music died“), but also points to the social changes that were underway when the song was released. The song gets both personal and cultural, citing the death of McLean’s father, John Lennon’s views on socialism, and the Vietnam War.
For a while, the songwriter didn’t really address the song’s lyrical content, often calling the words “beyond analysis” in interviews. However, in 2022, he decided to dive deeper into the song’s meaning with a documentary on Paramount+.
As he told Billboard, the song is both about the way he sees things, and the direction in which things are likely going.
“It is biographical in nature and I don’t think anyone has ever picked up on that.” McLean explained, “The song was written as my attempt at an epic song about America, and I used the imagery of music and politics to do that.”
(Photo by Don Smith/Radio Times via Getty Images)
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