Chord American Pie Live by Don Mclean

song : american pie live . artist : don mclean album : american pie 1971 . tempo : allegro . time : 4/4 tabbed : rikigo url’s : tuning : standard . chords : eadgbe G = = = 320003 D/F# = = = 200232 Em7 = = = 020000 Am = = = x02210 C = = = 332010 Em = = = 022000 D = = = xx0232 Dsus4 = = = xx0233 Dsus2 = = = xx0230 G/B = = = x20003 Am7 = = = x02010 D7 = = = xx0212 A7 = = = x02020 intro sung with piano only : nc G D/F# Em7 A long , long time ago , Am C Em D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D i can still remember how that music used to make me smile . G D/F# Em7 and i knew if i had my chance , Am C that i could make those people dance , Em C D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D 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/B Am C D bad news on the doorstep , i couldn’t take one more step . G D/F# 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 C the day the music died . "sing it for us , loud and clear" chorus 1 : 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/F# and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye , Em A7 singin’ "this will be the day that i die , Em D7 this will be the day that i die . " verse 1 : G Am did you write the book of love , C Am and do you have faith in god above , Em D if the bible tells you so? G D/F# Em now do you believe in rock and roll? Am7 C can music save your mortal soul? Em A7 D D7 and can you teach me how to dance real slow? Em D well i know that you’re in love with him , Em D ’cause i saw you dancin’ in the gym . C G A7 C D7 you both kicked off your shoes , man i dig those rhythm and blues . G D/F# Em Am C i was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck with a pink carnation and a pickup truck . G D/F# Em C D7 G C G D7 but i knew i was out of luck the day the music died , i started singing’ . . . chorus 2 : 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 singin’ "this will be the day that i die , Em D7 this will be the day that i die . " verse 2 : G Am now for ten years we’ve been on our own , C Am and moss grows fat on a rolling stone , Em D 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 G 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 D7 and we sang dirges in the dark , the day the music died , we were singing’ . . . chorus 3 : 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 singin’ "this will be the day that i die , Em D7 this will be the day that i die . " verse 3 : G Am helter skelter in a summer swelter , C Am the birds flew off with a fallout shelter , Em D 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 G 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 D7 do you recall what was the feel the day the music died , we started singing’ . . . chorus 4 : 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 singin’ "this will be the day that i die , Em D7 this will be the day that i die . " verse 4 : G Am and there we were all in one place , C Am a generation lost in space , Em D 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 G A7 C D7 no angel born in hell could break 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 D7 i saw satan laughing with delight the day the music died , he was singing’ . . . chorus 5 : 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 singin’ "this will be the day that i die , Em D7 this will be the day that i die . " outro sung with piano only : G D/F# Em i met a girl who sang the blues , Am C and i asked her for some happy news , Em D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D but she just smiled and turned away . G D/F# Em i went down to the sacred store , G Am C Em C D where i’d heard the music years before , but the man there said the music wouldn’t play . Em Am Em Am and in the streets the children screamed , the lovers cried and the poets dreamed . C G/B Am C D but not a word was spoken , the church bells all were broken . G D/F# Em G C D7 and the three men i admire most , the father , son , and the holy ghost , G D/F# Em C Am7 D7 G they caught the last train for the coast the day the music died . D7 and they were singing’ . . . "sing it for me now" coda : G C G D bye , bye , bye miss american pie , G C G D drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry . "everybody" G C G D and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye Em A7 singin’ "this will be the day that i die , Em D7 this will be the day that i die . " D7 and they were singing’ . . . G C G D bye , bye , bye miss american pie , G C G D drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry . "everybody" G C G D and them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye C D7 G C G singin’ "this will be the day that i die . " end notes : 1 . this version was borne out frustration to get this to match the live performance . 2 . in 2001 "american pie" was voted no . 5 in a poll of the 365 songs of the century compiled by the recording industry association of america and the national endowment for the arts .