The Way I Slice Pie

How I Slice Pie is a tribute to my favorite song, recorded and released in 1971. American Pie (McLean) has become an iconic song considered to be definitive of the 1960s, and my youth. Considered by many, the singer and songwriter, Don McLean, has never attempted to define the meanings within the lyrics, preferring to “realize that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence (as cited by Adams, 1993).”
Inspired by the death of Buddy Holly in 1959, ‘American Pie’ is autobiographical and presents a story of Don McLean’s life from the mid 1950s until he wrote the song in the late 1960s (McLean, 2008). Many interpretations of the lyrics have been proposed, but none have been supported by McLean. Of these, Bob Dearborn’s (as cited by Rotemen, 2008), is the most acclaimed and contains many indirect stereotypes beyond those explicit ones named by McLean (2008) specifically in the lyrics. Included among these are Elvis, Connie Francis, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon and the Beatles. Other aspects lament the passing of the ‘girl next door’, slow dancing, the fun of 1950s rock and roll, the transition from alcohol to illegal drugs and the popular interest in communism by some. In contemporary retrospect, the social and cultural evolution to date supports Dearborn and leaves one to wonder if McLean’s silence is to nurture interpretation beyond his original intent.
Some of Dearborn’s stereotypes come to mind when I think of the lyrics, but beyond those, I do think the song transcends, and indeed exceed, McLean’s original intent. To me the song continues to speak to the loss of better things; music, times and personal interaction. I hate to offend; music today can be better, closer and more feeling. Who can be anything but touched by a song like ‘Unchained Melody’(1955), ‘I fall to Pieces’ (1961), ‘Operator’ (1972), ‘Ooh, Baby, Baby’ (1978). Apple pie and the girl next door are gone, replaced by the vixen in short spandex and a tank top offering ‘pie’ of questionable content. Nobody seems to ‘just hang out’ and dangle their feet in the creek any more. Emails, not letters, text instead of call, send a jpg. instead of a visit, seems to be the norm today, because ‘we just don’t have time’.
Thirty-seven years later, the lyrics of American Pie bring all of this to mind. A simple song continues to make us think and interpret things; well beyond what the writer, or the interpreters, could ever have intended. Some positive, making us remember, or reflect upon change. Some negative, reflecting upon the things lost. All of it good, remembering and placing in context, our past.
From a marketing and advertising standpoint, selling nostalgia is obvious. Selling computers, cell phones and service providers to meet the needs of present obligations is obvious. For myself, I work hard to provide the opportunity to see this world as I did, to my children, ‘Walkin’ on a County Road’, (Taylor, 1971). I want my kids to innocently be able to sing, ‘I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates, you’ve got a brand new key’ (Melanie, 1971) as they ride their bikes down the road. That innocence seems to be lost by McLean; and is today!
I was a lonely, teenage, broncin’ buck, with a pink carnation and a pickup truck, where were you, the day the music died?

References
McLean, D. (1971). American pie [Record]. USA: United Artists Records.
Adams, C. (1993, May 15). The straight dope: The Chicago Reader. Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html
McLean, D. (2008). Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://www.don-mclean.com/americanpie.asp
Rotemen, J. (2008) Jeff Roteman’s radioville website. Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/pie.html
Hatfield, B., Hatfield B. (1965) Unchained melody, Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unchained_Melody
Cline, P. (1961) I fall to pieces, Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patsy_Cline
Croce, J (1972) Operator, Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://en,wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Croce
Ronstaht, L. (1978) Ooh, baby,baby, Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_In_The_USA
Taylor, T. (1971) Country road, Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Taylor
Melanie, A (1971) Brand new key, Retrieved April 20, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie