v.1
Quiet:
A Glong, Dlong Emtime ago AmI can still reCmember
How that musicEm used to Dmake me smile
And GI knew Dif I Emhad my chance
That AmI could make those Cpeople dance
And Emmaybe they'd be Ahappy for a Dwhile
But EmFebruary Ammade me shiver Emwith every paper AmI'd deliver
CBad news C/Bon the Amdoorstep CI couldn't take Done more step
I Gcan't reDmember Emif I cried when I Amread about his Cwidowed bride
But Gsomething Dtouched me Emdeep inside, the Cday the Dmusic Gdied
So...
Chorus
GBye Cbye Miss AGmerican DPie,
Drove my GChevy to the Clevee but the Glevee was Ddry
Them Ggood ol' Cboys were drinkin Gwhiskey and Drye
Singing EmThis'll be the day that I Adie,
EmThis'll be the day that I Ddie.
v.2
GDid you write the AmBook of Love and do Cyou have faith in AmGod above?
EmIf the Bible Dtells you so
And do Gyou beG-F#lieve in Emrock 'n roll? Can Ammusic save your Cmoral soul?
And Emcan you teach me Ahow to dance Dreal slow?
Well I Emknow that you're in Dlove with him
'cause I Emsaw you dancing Din the gym
You Cboth kicked Goff your Ashoes, man, I Cdig those rhythm 'n' Dblues
I was a Glonely Dteenage Embroncin' buck with a Ampink carnation and a Cpickup truck
But I Gknew G/F#I was Emout of luck the Cday the Dmusic GdiedG--C--G
I started Dsinging...
Rpt Ch
v.3
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
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 Lennon 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...
Rpt Ch
v.4
Helter Skelter in a summer swelter the birds flew off with the 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 sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance oh, but we never got the chance
When the players tried to take the field the marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died
We started singing
Rpt Ch
v.5
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 spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial light
I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died
He was singing...
Rpt Ch
v.6
Quiet:
GI met a Dgirl who Emsang the blues and I Amasked her Am/Bfor some Chappy news
But Emshe just smiled and Dturned away
GI went Ddown to the Emsacred storeG where I'd Amheard the Am/Bmusic Cyears before
But the Emman there said the Amusic wouldn't Dplay
EmAnd in the streets the Amchildren screamed the Emlovers cried and the Ampoets dreamed
But Cnot a C/Bword was Amspoken the Cchurch bells all were Dbroken
And the Gthree men DI adEmmire most: The AmFather, CSon, and DHoly Ghost
They Gcaught the Dlast train Emfor the coast the Cday the Dmusic Gdied
And they were singing...
Rpt Ch 2t to end