Don McLean – American Pie (Guitar Acoustic Tab)
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Title: American Pie
Artist: Don McLean
Acoustic fingerstyle version with melody and harmony in the tradition of Mississippi John Hurt
Author and Copyright: MississippiHans (arr.+tab.)
Tempo: Q=140
Play bass quarters with your right-hand thumb and insert eighths. Eighths are marked '+'.
The chord names above the tab lines indicate the left-hand position. Emphasise the melody notes.
[Verse] G + + + + C + + D7 + + E|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| B|-3----------------3-------|-1--p0-------3------------|-1----------------1-------|-1--p0--------------------| G|----------0---------------|--------------------------|----------0---------------|-------------2------------| D|------0---------------0---|---------0------------0---|------2---------------2---|---------0------------0---| A|--------------------------|-2---------------2--------|-3------------3-----------|-0---------------0--------| E|-3------------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| A long long time ago I can still re- member Did you write the book of love, and do you have faith in God above, Em + + D7 + + + E|------------------------|------------------------|---------------------|-3--p2-------0-------2--------| B|------------------------|----------0-------------|---------------------|------------------------------| G|-0--------0-------------|-0----------------------|-2-------------------|------------------------------| D|------2------------2----|------2------------2----|------0---------0----|---------0---------------0----| A|------------------------|------------------------|-0---------0---------|-0---------------0------------| E|-0------------0---------|-0------------0---------|---------------------|------------------------------| How that music used to make me smile. And I If the Bible tells you so? Do G + + + + C + + D7 + + E|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| B|-3----------------3-------|-1--p0-------3------------|-1----------------1-------|-1--p0--------------------| G|----------0---------------|--------------------------|----------0---------------|-------------2------------| D|------0---------------0---|---------0------------0---|------2---------------2---|---------0------------0---| A|--------------------------|-2---------------2--------|-3------------3-----------|-0---------------0--------| E|-3------------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance, and you believe in rock 'n roll, Can music save your mortal soul, and Em + + D7 + + + E|------------------------|------------------------|---------------------|-3--p2-------0-------2--------| B|------------------------|-------------------0----|---------------------|------------------------------| G|-0--------0-------------|-0--------0-------------|-2-------------------|------------------------------| D|------2------------2----|------2------------2----|------0---------0----|---------0---------------0----| A|------------------------|------------------------|-0---------0---------|-0---------------0------------| E|-0------------0---------|-0------------0---------|---------------------|------------------------------| maybe, they'd be happy for a while. can you teach me how to dance real slow? Em + + D + + Em + + D + + E|-0------------------------|--------------------------|-0------------------------|--------------------------| B|------------------0-------|-1--p0-------3------------|------------------0-------|-1--p0-------3------------| G|----------0---------------|--------------------------|----------0---------------|--------------------------| D|------2---------------2---|---------0------------0---|------2---------------2---|---------0------------0---| A|-2------------2-----------|-0---------------0--------|-2------------2-----------|-0---------------0--------| E|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| But february made me shiver, With every paper I'd deliver. Well, I know that you're in love with him, `cause I saw you dancin' in the gym. C + + Am7 C + + D E|---------------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------| B|-1---------1--p0-----------|---------------------|-1---------1--p0-------3---|---------------------| G|-----------------------0---|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------| D|------2------------2-------|------2---------2----|------2------------2-------|------0---------0----| A|-3---------3---------------|-0---------0---------|-3---------3---------------|-0---------0---------| E|---------------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------| Bad news on the doorstep; I couldn't take one more step. You both kicked off your shoes. Man, I dig those rhythm and blues. I was a G + + + + C + + D7 + + E|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| B|-3----------------3-------|-1--p0-------3------------|-1----------------1-------|-1--p0--------------------| G|----------0---------------|--------------------------|----------0---------------|-------------2------------| D|------0---------------0---|---------0------------0---|------2---------------2---|---------0------------0---| A|--------------------------|-2---------------2--------|-3------------3-----------|-0---------------0--------| E|-3------------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------| I can't remember if I cried, When I read about his widowed bride, lonely teenage broncin' buck, With a pink carnation and a pickup truck, but I G + + + + C + + D7 E|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------| B|-3----------------3-------|-1--p0-------3------------|-1----------------1-------|-1--------------0----| G|----------0---------------|--------------------------|----------0---------------|---------------------| D|------0---------------0---|---------0------------0---|------2---------------2---|------0---------0----| A|--------------------------|-2---------------2--------|-3------------3-----------|-0---------0---------| E|-3------------3-----------|--------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------| But something touched me deep inside The day the mu- sic knew I was out of luck The day the mu- sic G D + + + E|---------------------|------------------------------| B|---------------------|-----3-------3--/5---3--------| G|-0-------------------|------------------------------| D|------0---------0----|---------0---------------0----| A|-----------2---------|-0---------------0------------| E|-3-------------------|------------------------------| died. -- died. I started singin' [Chorus] G + C + G + + D G + + C + + E|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------| B|-3------------1------------|-0-------------------------|-3---3-----------1---1-----------| G|----------0------------0---|-----2---0---2-------------|-------------0---------------0---| D|------0------------2-------|---------0------------0----|---------0---------------2-------| A|--------------3------------|-----------------0---------|-----------------3---------------| E|-3-------------------------|-3-------------------------|-3-------------------------------| So bye- bye, miss a- merican pie. Drove my chevy to the levee, but the G + + D G + + C + G + + D E|---------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------| B|-0-------------------------|-3---3-------1--------1---1---|-0-------------------------| G|-----2---0---2-------------|------------------------------|-----2---0---2-------------| D|---------0------------0----|---------0------------2-------|---------0------------0----| A|-----------------0---------|-----------------3------------|-----------------0---------| E|-3-------------------------|-3----------------------------|-3-------------------------| levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, singin' Em + + + + Am Em + + + + D E|--------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------| B|--------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------| G|-0-------0-------0-------0---2--|--------------------|-0-------0-------0--------------|--------------------| D|-----2-------2-------2----------|------2---------2---|-----2-------2-------4---2---0--|--------------------| A|---------2---------------2------|-0---------0--------|---------2----------------------|------0---------0---| E|-0---------------0--------------|--------------------|-0---------------0--------------|-2---------2--------| "This'll be the day that I die. This'll be the day that I die."
[MoreVerses]
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' 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 kept practice in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.
Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a 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 half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
As the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
Oh, 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.
Oh, 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's spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To Fight the sacrificial lite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn't play.
nd in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.
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