Essay An Analysis of “American Pie”

With every aspect of our lives we are making a point, arguing a belief, or refuting some other aspect of our existence. Aesthetic pieces, most avidly poems and songs, argue a message both in the lyrics and in the meaning posed between the lines. “American Pie,” in a multitude of ways, argues that American lives and memories are closely intertwined with the music of the time period. Not only does “American Pie” argue a message it also pulls many generations together. Today, thirty years after the initial release, “American Pie” still has an effect in our music and continues to be popular with all age groups. Don McLean accomplishes this task through using the context of the time period, placement of words, the words

"American Pie" starts out addressing McLean love for music in the 50's. During the 50's, music was a tool for getting people off their feet and on to the dance floors. "And I knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance, and maybe they'd be happy for a while" (McLean). This verse symbolizes why he loves to create and perform for his fans. McLean then goes on to mention his mentor Buddy Holly. "But February made me shiver. With every paper, I'd deliver. Shocking news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step. I can't remember if I cried. When I read about his widowed bride. But something touched me deep inside. The day the music died" (McLean). Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959, in a plane crash. There are two theories on why the song was called "American Pie." It was rumored, "American Pie" was the name of the plane that took Buddy Holly life. Also, someone refers it to a symbol of the beauty queen Miss America (Morgan). Mclean remembered the paper boy delivering the morning paper and there on the front page, was the story of the death of Buddy Holly. At the time Holly's wife was pregnant and soon had a miscarriage afterward. McLean, he says he can't remember if he cried in the moment or not. All this was in the first few verses in "American Pie." McLean incorporated these lines of imagery to help the listener picture his past emotional experiences. I believe McLean wanted to paint a picture for his audience could relate to. During these times it was tough for McLean. Not only did Buddy Holly die but also rock star legends Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper. For McLean music died for him and the rest of the world.

“Uncle Sam Goddamn” is a song written by Brother Ali in 2007 that conveys the United States government as harsh and cruel. Brother Ali writes lyrics in a very personal and inspiring way. Ali wrote this song in anger and in protest of the United States due to its controversial history and he writes with anger and passion. Ali calls out the United States Government and he wants change. Ali uses phrases to show Americas flaws and controversial history. He is disappointed in the way that America has become what it is today. Brother Ali shows his disappointment of America’s controversial past by using vigorous language and his concern for what America has become.

When songwriters begin to pen the lyrics of a song, I believe their ultimate goal is to transcend time in hopes of reaching listeners for generations to come. J.R. Cash, professionally known as Johnny Cash, wrote a song that did just that. “Ragged Old Flag” is a patriotic song that speaks to every generation. Written in 1974, “Ragged Old Flag” was meant to tell the story of our country. Johnny Cash recorded “Ragged Old Flag” live at the House of Cash. Cash wanted the song to be recorded live because it was raw, untouched, and unapologetically real. The basis of this analysis is to show how patriotism spans generations, but also why a song such as, “Ragged Old Flag” is an important part of patriotism in the United States of America.

imagery, dialogue, and figurative language. Not only do these authors use this devices, they use

The iconic coming-of-age movie The Breakfast Club, focuses on the development of five, seemingly very different high school students. In the movie we are presented with the five main characters all with stereotypes that they identify with. Claire is the princess or the beauty queen, John, often referred to by his last name “Bender,” is the criminal, Brian is the brain or the nerd, Andrew, is the athlete, a wrestler , and finally Allison is the basket case or the weirdo. The story is set in saturday detention where they are forced to spend eight hours with people from other cliques that they would normally never interact with. The day progresses and the characters interact with one another, smoke, dance, break rules, and reveal very personal parts of themselves with the others. The story ends with some of the characters making an attempt to change their identity with the realization that even with the boxes they have been put into they are not that different from one another.

It is uncommon for an American singer to decry Billie Holiday’s art of music considering that many cite the influence of her career not only on jazz but also on other American music. The distinctive phrasing,

Authors use figurative language to describe the objects and characters in the stories. In the passage “Uncle Timothy’s Ships,” by Summer Woodford, figurative language reveals the significance of the bottled ships, Woodford reveals the significance of the bottled ships by using metaphors, extended metaphors, and personification. The first piece of figurative language that Summer Woodford uses are metaphors. A metaphor is to compare two things without using like or as.

The 1930’s was a decade of extremely hard times, following the stock market crash and an extreme depression. In spite of the tremendous hardships in America during this decade, it also became a time of great music that is still remembered today. Jazz music was highly popular in this time, and Billie Holiday was a famous jazz performer. She stood out from many other musicians because of her intense and passionate performances. Jazz arose from “unacceptable” segments of society, but quickly grew like wildfire. We often think of the 1930’s as the decade that jazz became civilized, and famous throughout popular culture through the work of pioneering artists like Billie Holiday. People did not own televisions or cable, so radio was their main source of entertainment, and music during this decade was both up beat and a source of relaxation. “Strange Fruit” defied musical category because it was considered too artsy to be folk, and too explicitly political to fit into jazz. This is why “Strange Fruit” became such a powerful phenomenon. Many other artists later took on this song, changing the genre but still portraying the same message. Nina Simone dramatized “Strange Fruit” in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. More important artists like Jeff Buckley, Rene Marie, Labor Camp Orchestra, and many others made their own rendition on the song, still leaving all of their audiences moved by the powerful imagery of the lyrics.

“Hey Brianna, meet me at 12:00 a.m. in the cafeteria so we can discuss what happened in class today.

In the song American Pie, by Don McLean, produced in 1971, McLean uses this song to commemorate the death of singer Buddy Holly but he is able to also describe what he thinks is one of the most influential periods of American history; 1959-1970. The speaker in the song is Don because he’s telling what has happened since the death of Buddy holly and how much has influenced a change in society. In the song “bye bye mrs American pie” there to represent the innocence of American that Holly took when he died. I chose this song because it was one of my father’s favorite songs. And since the main idea of the song is about death, after my father died I felt a connection with the song. American pie relates to an old saying "as American as apple pie".

The song American Pie is a representation of loss during the transition into the 1970s. It was written in 1971 by Don McLean and filled with his views on the state of society, political changes, and cultural changes. The cultural changes and the loss of everything society knew produced the lost generation that McLean was apart of. He demonstrated his disapproval of the direction of the country by using music, faith, and war as examples of the changes and loss his generation faced.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) is the action packed journey of a misguided young man desperately trying to navigate his own existence. In the film Scott must fight the conflictions within himself and the seven evil exes of his love interest. Based off the comic book series by Bryan Lee

If one listens closely, they can hear America’s song. The words, like thunder, comprise the groans of the slave, the cheers of the free, and the unmistakable sounds of the brave. The music rings out as clear as day; it is composed by the growing children and the dying men. Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes captured the essence of these songs in their respective works, “I Hear America Singing” and “I, Too, Sing America.” The first describes the melodies of a working nation, the “the wood-cutter’s song” and the “delicious singing of the mother” (Whitman 7-8). The quiet musings of a young African American make up the latter; it is a hymn of hushed hope for tomorrow. Although the two poems stand alone, both Whitman’s and Hughes's works powerfully capture the song of America through the sense of pride found in each piece, the uses of different literary elements, and their individual views of the nation.

The poem’s words echo through your mind, revealing a haunting display. Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, performed Strange fruit. She sang the poem not in a melody, but in a screeching tone creating an alarming show. The timbre of her voice’s pitch was intense. In other words, the way Billie Holiday sang Strange Fruit in a serious voice, confirms that the poem is not to joke about because it is based on a true story. It is important to realize, that the poem relates to history because it demonstrates how demented racism dominated in the