Allegory of American Pie by Don McLean
A Piece of the “Pie”
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Ask anyone what was the defining moment in the rock history of the 1960s
was and all you will get is a one word answer: Woodstock. The three day
rock festival that defined an era was only one of many music festivals of the
’60s. But Woodstock has come to symbolize, “an era of peaceful, free-
loving, drug- taking hippie youth, carefree before harsher realities hit…”
(Layman 40). The Woodstock festival ended a century filled with many
metamorphoses of rock’n’roll, from the era of pop music to the rebirth of
folk music to the invention of acid rock. But some cynics say that
rock’n’roll died with the death of Buddy Holly before the 60s even began.
One such person is Don McLean. The poet behind the haunting epic song
about the death of ‘danceable’ music, McLean wrote the ever popular
song, “American Pie” (appendix 1). The most important song in rock’n’roll
history, “American Pie”, is the song about the demise of rock’n’roll after
Buddy Holly’s death and the heathenism of rock that resulted. Although
McLean himself won’t reveal any symbolism in his songs, “American Pie” is
one of the most analyzed pieces of literature in modern society. Although
not all of its secrets have been revealed, many “scholars” of the sixties will
agree that the mystery of this song is one of the reasons it has become so
successful- everyone wants to know the meanings of its allegories.Proof of “American Pie’s” truth lies in the allegory of the song. Many People
enjoy the song but have no idea what it means- Who is the Jester? What is
the levee? When the deeper story is found, the importance of the song is
unearthed. “American Pie” is not only a song, it is an epic poem about the
course of rock’n’roll in the sixties. The song is centered around the epic’s
hero, Buddy Holly. Holly was a 50s rock and roller who experimented
greatly with chords and beats. Many people say that if Holly hadn’t died, no
one would have needed the Beatles, who in their time also revolutionized
rock. But in any sense Holly was a rock pioneer. He wrote his own songs
and popularized the use of the two guitar, bass and drums line-up (Jordan).
Holly directly influenced most of the most prominent folk and rock
musicians of the 60s including Bob Dylan, the Beatles and many oth…
…mount of damage that the coyote does (Gilbert, 1991, p. 74). One of these experts, Arnold Hayden, is a wildlife biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission (Gilbert, 1991, p. 78). He has the following views on the debate of coyote population control:
When I talk to farmers, sportsmen and social groups, I tell them coyotes are here to stay, and we are not going to get rid of them, and there is no good reason to try. In purely economic terms, they do destroy sheep, chickens and geese. Perhaps this is balanced by the mice and woodchucks they take ( Gilbert, 1991, p. 79).
Not enough is known about animal control for agricultural purposes to comment on whether or not this is a formidable argument. However, both sides seem to be very adamant in their beliefs, and it appears that this debate will continue into the new millennium.Therefore, the coyote appears to have no real competition for two reasons. The pro nature movement of the last two decades that has made it illegal to kill coyotes (Dunlap, 1986, p. 348). And because of their extreme flexibility in habitat and food consumption, the coyote not only manages to co-exist with human beings, but it is thriving because of it.
