Rock School; American Pie; Part 2

Scoos! I fall in love! I've got a fan, so paid, I'm out for teacher! It's time for school! Rock School! With your hosts, Dr. Joe Burns! Ringo got a song on everyone's album and Chad P! What happened in 1969 where everybody was in one place? Woodstock! Woodstock! Class is in! Rock School, good afternoon everybody! My name is Joe Burns and sitting to my immediate right is Chad P! Chad, you look good today, how are you? We are starting part two, ladies

and gentlemen, part two of what do the lyrics to American Pie mean? Yeah, I think we're midway through, verse three. Verse three, right, we got part verses, no six verses, six verses, so that means we have three, four, five, and six to go. Four verses, that means I got about 15 minutes per verse to do this. We are not going to go backwards at all. If you missed part one, I made a real point of saying to the Webmaster of the Rock School website, make sure part one is up and running by the time we start part two. And the Webmaster will call him Matt, Matt, Matt said they would be up and running, so if you haven't heard part one, go to the website, it is kslu .org. On the right hand side you will see a little chalkboard that says Rock School, click on it and there you'll see episodes, go ahead and click on it and you will see it. Are you ready to go? We have gotten through the first two verses and we will do the beginning of the third verse again. Now for 10

years, we have been on our own and Moss grows fat on our Rolling Stone, but that is not how it used to be. It is probably 1969, because as I said, Don McClain makes a point of stating in the first line of the verse what year we are in. 10 years we have been on our own, it is 10 years past 1959, that would be 1969, Moss grows fat on our Rolling Stone, I have already stated that is probably Brian Jones, the dead member of the Rolling Stones died of drugs. He states, but that is not how it used to be, because his heroes don't dope themselves to death. When the jester sang for the king and queen, who is the jester? Bob Dylan. It is Bob Dylan and we know this because Bob Dylan was a funny guy, he was a jokester, but furthermore in an interview with Casey Kasim in 1971, Don McClain admitted that the jester was Bob Dylan. There you go. In a coat, he borrowed from James Dean. On the front of the album, the free willing Bob Dylan, he is wearing the

same coat that James Dean is wearing inside of Rebel without a cause. Now we move along. While the king was looking down the jester stole his thorny crown. Who is the king? I think this one is fairly straightforward as well. Is it Elvis? I think it is. He is looking down. He is in heaven. Well, no, Elvis is not quite dead yet. It is 1969. While the king was looking down the jester stole his thorny crown. Now why is the king wearing a thorny crown? Well, at this point in time, I think he is stating this because the king is really being martyred. He is off making really cruddy movies and he is doing bad vagus shows. And he is being this martyr. He is seeing himself as the last run of the old school and he does not have the same oomph anymore. Maybe he could be doing tired to cut you off. Maybe a religious metaphor or a crown of thorns. And

when Dylan takes his crown of thorns, he basically takes the spotlight as the new king of rock and roll. Okay. That is what I think those lines mean. The court room was adjourned. No verdict was returned. I think we are still in 1969. When he says the court room was adjourned, no verdict was returned. I think he is talking about two elements of the time. The court room was adjourned. I think he means the Warren commission. And no verdict was returned. I think he means the Chicago 7. This was the 1969 when the indictments were all given down to the Chicago 7 for writing at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. All of their indictments were overturned. Wow. I think that is what he is talking about, at least in my mind that is what he is talking about. Now the next line. Well, Lenin read a book on marks. Now the world thinks he is means John Lenin. I do not think so. Who is it? I think it is Lenin as in Ellie and I N. Who is that? I think as in Lenin, as in the Russian Lenin, as in Vladimir Lenin. Vladimir. Lenin reads a

book on marks suggesting the rise of communism in Soviet Russia, a quartet practiced in the park. Now a lot of people say, well, that has got to mean the Beatles. I do not believe so. And the reason I do not believe so is because in the next verse, the Beatles are so well and blatantly talked about. So why do I think that it is Lenin as in Vladimir Lenin reading a book on marks because the quartet who practices in the park, I believe is the Weavers. Now who are the Weavers? The Weavers are a group of folk singers and Lee Hayes and another guy Pete Seeger were part of them. And Lee Hayes and Pete Seeger under the McCarthy era were blacklisted as communists. Really? So that would make sense. If Lenin read a book on marks, that would mean the rise of communism in Soviet Russia. The quartet practiced in the park. Because they were blacklisted. That would mean that quartet being the quartet of the Weavers, that would be Lee

Hayes, Pete Seeger. And also Pete Seeger was also a member of the Communist Party of the United States of America. And I'll come back and tell you what the last one means. Let's hear Pete Seeger. Okay. This is his version. A lot of people think, turn, turn, turn was by the birds alone. It's a Pete Seeger tune. So here is Pete Seeger. If you wonder who this guy is, this is turn, turn, turn on Rock School as we talk about what do the lyrics of American Pie Mean? To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to laugh. That's Pete Seeger. Very nice. See, the thing about it is, you're going to hear much

more in this song. And in fact, during the last verse, Don McClain was a large fan of folk singers. You can already hear how much he adores the jester, Bob Dylan. He was a fan of folk singers and he was a fan of the fact that he believed that folk singers could make change. He didn't like a lot of the acid rock. He didn't like the heavy rock. He believed folk singers could make change. That's why he liked the weavers. That's why he liked Pete Seeger. But he was also a fan of Richie Valens in the Big Bopper. A time when it was pure, a time when it was lovely. Let me back up. And while Lenin read a book on marks, the court kept practice in the dark, a courtette practiced in the park. And we sang durges in the dark. What does that mean? It's just an overt idea that these times have changed. I don't think so. There was an East Coast power blackout. November 9, 1965. And radio stations went to power backups generators and such. I worked in radio long enough to be on the air during many power blackouts. And we

had gasoline and diesel powered backup machines. We've got one at this radio station right here. You just go out, pull the, you know, you take the guy, you don't mind dying. You take him out there and he starts up the little gas, you know, engine. Well, they don't work like that anymore. We go on well. Other on a timer. Tell you what, it was scary when I was the one pulling it. Well, what happened was a lot of the radio stations in New York City began to play calm music. As a matter of fact, there's some really neat film of people standing around during the power outage, standing on corners, singing Christmas songs. Because they played calm music attempting to keep people calm. And I think that's what he's talking about. And then, and we sang durges in the dark the day the music died and we were singing. Bye -bye, Miss American Pie. Okay, ready for verse four? Oh, yeah. Okay. Verse four. Helter's skelter in a summer sweater. Oh, that's pretty. I don't think you can say it's anything, but Charles

Manson in the summer of 1969, leading his followers in the Tate LaBianca murders. And contrary to popular belief, Manson actually never committed the murders. No, he had everybody do it for him. That's right. Everybody had it doing for him. And by the way, it was the Beatles song, Helter's skelter from the 1968 white album that Manson believed had the code words in it that told him it was time to invoke the race war he thought was coming that would leave him as the Jesus Christ on earth. Believe it or don't. From 1968, here's Helter's skelter Beatles on Rock School. I got blisters on my fingers. I make you a little nervous when it faded out there.

It's going to come back. Here it is. Here it comes. Listen. John Lennon. These are blisters on my fingers. Join call and love it. I've got blisters from fading out so much. That's not fun. Oh, Beatles do that all the time. So there you go. Helter's skelter in a summer sweater. Obviously, it's Charles Manson. Once again, murders in the summer of 1969. The first line of the verses telling us what year we are actually in. This is true. Helter's skelter in a summer sweater. The birds flew off to a fallout shelter eight miles high and failing or falling fast. Well, what do those two little lines mean? The birds flew off with a fallout shelter eight miles high and falling fast. I think it's an obvious reference to the bird's song eight miles high. What does all the falling fast mean? Well, if you know the bird's song eight miles high, it's not a drug reference song. The song itself is a fear of flying that Roger McGuin wrote about. But there's a couple little things in there. You have to know what the drug

reference terms of the day met. It's a reference to the bird's song. So they're talking about the bird's song. But when you talk about at that point in time, 69, when you talk about going to a fallout shelter, you are talking about going to a drug rehab center. Oh. But also in 1969, this is a reference to the earlier verse where the rise of communism, the rise of nuclear weapons, and the rise of fear. Eight miles high, falling fast is the concept of getting clean. So when he says the birds flew off to the fallout shelter, he's talking about the overt drug user, Crosby. Crosby. Eight miles high, high as a kite, going to a fallout shelter in order to get clean. Eight miles high and falling fast. It's yet another drug reference to the concept of. Music has become nothing more than this drug infested. Nothing. That's what those two mean. At least in my opinion,

here are the birds. Eight miles high and rock school. Music Oh man. That's good stuff. Isn't Roger McWin wonderful? He married very nice. He is so sloppy. That's the best way I can put it. I feel the same way about Jimmy Page when he plays. But it's a good sloppy. Oh yeah. It's so sloppy that it's wonderful. He's not clean. He's not like listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Every note rings true. He's so sloppy. It's wonderful. We are only, believe it or not, three lines into verse two. We're going to get four. I'm sorry. You're right. Verse four. We are going to wrap up verse four

when we get back from this break. One minute right here at Rock School. Support for KSLU programming is made possible in part by home theater, etc. In addition to flat panel displays and digital surround sound setups, home theater, etc. also offers home theater furniture such as entertainment centers, TV stands, home theater seating, and pop up flat panel lifts. Home theater, etc. is located on the corner of Morris and Mooney across from Florida parishes bank. The telephone number is area code nine eight five three four zero seven seven seven seven. Rock School as we talk about the meaning to the lyrics of American Pie. We are in verse four. We've only done three lines. I'm going to go all the way to the end of the verse before we play the next song. All right. So I'll start again. Okay. Helter skelter in a summer skelter. The birds flew off to the fallout shelter eight miles high and falling fast. It landed foul on the grass, the players tried for a forward pass. Now what does that mean? I don't know that that has any specific meaning, but what it does is it

gets him into the next little section which is all about sports euphemisms. He's going to use that a bit football stuff. Sure. Right. He's going to actually use a baseball marching bands. It's actually more football than it is baseball. So he's going to use half time and things like that. I don't know that that has anything more than a bit of a word bridge to get him somewhere else. Yeah. It landed foul on the grass. The players tried for a forward pass with the jester on the sideline in a cast. This one's also pretty easily on July 29th 1966. The jester Bob Dylan was in an almost fatal motorcycle accident and he broke his leg. Did he have a particular team that he liked to go watch? Actually, he didn't have one that he particularly liked, but apparently he hated Joe Nameth. Really? He hated Joe Nameth? I don't know, but it was actually brought up when I was doing some research that he hated Joe Nameth. Wow. And that some people actually

thought that was a reference to the fact that Joe Nameth was sideline with injuries back in 1970. That makes sense, but that would put the time in the wrong place. That would be too late. Maybe he was watching a Joe Nameth game because he was rooting for the team. Could have been on the sideline. Now, the halftime air was sweet perfume. I think that's straight forward. That's a reference to drug use. Even when I was growing up, when you smelled marijuana in the air or something like that, we used to say, hmm, perfume was a nickname for drug use. And it would make sense because during a halftime show at a football game, what else are you going to do? Apparently. Well, Sargent's played a marching tune. Remember when I said that there was going to be a reference to the Beatles a little later on? That's it. This is the reference. Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, then. Well, the Sargent's played a marching tune. We all got up to dance, but we never got the chance because the players tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield. My opinion is that the Beatles Sargent Pepper's band had such total domination

of the music industry that the concept, remember I said that Don McLean loved the concept of folk music and such, the players got up to dance. The good, fun, yum rock and roll tried to, didn't work. The players tried to take the field, the people who were the guitar and a microphone tried to take the field, the marching band refused to yield. If you weren't playing Beatles music at that point in time or music that sounded like the Beatles, twin guitar, bass, two or three part harmony, you weren't getting recorded. I think that is what it means. He also might mean players referring to fake groups like the monkeys and the partridge families, but I doubt it. I think what he's talking about is the concept of the Beatles basically ruled the world. And if you weren't doing Beatles music at that point in time, forget it. Get out of the way. Do you recall what was revealed the day the music died? We started singing. The do you

recall what was revealed? I can interpret it two or three different ways, but what I think he's stating is, do you recall what was revealed? Music had become corporate. Do it this way or you're not getting recorded. There was no such thing as Buddy Holly put out a 45 and will give you a shot. It was either create an album or tough luck to you. Here are the sergeants. This is Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. We'll follow it up with a little help from my friends. Here are the ones that refused to yield Beatles. You knew that on Rock School. There you go, Ringo got a song on

everyone's albums. Nice, cute short song. As we go through all of the lyrics of American Pie, what do they mean? It's a two for show. This is part two. If you want part one, just check out the website KSLU .org. And look for Rock School. Click on the episodes. And there it is, part one of the lyrics to American Pie. We're going to try to get this show on to the website as quickly as possible. If you're interested in hearing them both back to back and as quickly as possible, we will get that up and running as soon as we possibly can. Welcome to verse five. I have a half an hour left. It's 15 minutes per. I have a couple songs that go with this so I'm going to move as quickly as I can. And of course get all the information out. Opening line is the timeline. Always. Oh, there we were all in one place. Well, that's 1969. What happened in 1969 where everybody was in one place? I'm a 69. Woodstock. Woodstock. Here you go. This is Woodstock. Rock Joni Mitchell wrote it. It was recorded. Well, they hit. CSNY 1970 was when it got out there.

It's Woodstock on Rock School. Well, I can't even part. It's child of God. He was walking along the road. And I had to tell me where are you going? Where the sick home is? So I'm going down. Yes, that's fun. CSNY, Crosby, still. Nash, Neil, Young, 1970. That's Joni Mitchell's Woodstock. As we go through all of the lyrics. I got to identify. I mean, with all of these music concerts, Voodoo Fest and Lala Paloza and all these places. If I could pick one, only one that I would be able to attend because I couldn't for obvious reasons. You go back to Woodstock? I'd do Woodstock 69 in a second. It's not the one I'd go back to. Which one would you do? Alta Mont. I would. Oh,

there we were all in one place. We've already told you I think that means Woodstock, August 15th, 1969. A generation lost in space with no time left to start again. Well, it could mean the TV show, but probably not. It probably means the space race, the concept of we will go to the moon. Oops, the Russians put up Sputnik first. Right. It could also have a secondary suggestion with no time left to start again. You've also heard of people becoming, you know, you have a space head, you know, you're lost in space. It could also be a secondary suggestion of a generation who ignored all the folk singers and it's all coming home to roost. So come on, Jack B. Nimble. Jack B. Quick. I think this is Kennedy's averting of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Really? And all of his stuff to avert nuclear war. And the reason I say that is because the next one says Jack Flash sat on a candlestick. Jumping Jack Flash? No, I think that means actually Jack Kennedy sat on a candlestick. I think it means he sat on the nuclear weapons. He

stopped them from taking off. I believe that's what it means. Or it could mean the moon shot. Candlestick could be the rocket. Could be. But I think those two lines go together. So come on, Jack B. Nimble, Jack B. Quick, Jack Flash sat on a candlestick. He actually stopped the candlestick. Yeah. Because fire is the devil's only friend. I don't know that that line has any specific meaning. I think it just gets you to the next one. Now the next little grouping of lines, we already know what it is because Don McLean has stated when he talked about the flames crying higher into the night. He's talking about Altamont. Okay. 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 right, I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died. What is he talking about? He's talking about the Rolling Stones

concert at the Altamont Motor Speedway back in I think 1969. And the Altamont Motor Speedway was a nasty, nasty concert that the Rolling Stones set up. And what really went terrible on it was the fact that four people died. From what? Two of them died from a hit and run. One of them died because his car flipped over and he drowned inside of a drainage ditch. But the one most people know about is Meredith Hunter. A young man who was in close to the front of the stage. Meredith Hunter was killed by the Hells Angels. The Hells Angels were hired basically to watch the generators that were used to power the amplifiers and such. Meredith Hunter? Oh yeah. Meredith Hunter was high on, they think PCP. And Meredith Hunter pulled out a weapon in order to shoot at the stage. Whether he was trying to kill somebody in particular, nobody knows. But when

he pulled out the weapon, the Hells Angels hit him with pool sticks and then stabbed him to death. Wow. In the documentary, the 1971, I think documentary, Gimme Shelter. You see Mick Jagger performing. And while Meredith Hunter is being killed, Mick Jagger is laughing, which is what this actually, what this line is actually saying. Now, don't go crazy. Oh, horrible Mick Jagger. Mick Jagger didn't know this guy was dying. Mick Jagger didn't know this was happening. There is an urban myth that when Meredith Hunter was dying, they were playing the song Sympathy for the Devil. Untrue. Untrue. Okay. They were playing the song under my thumb. Oh. The name of the documentary is Gimme Shelter. So we're going to play that. This is Gimme Shelter from the 1969 album Let It Bleed. Rape Murder. It's just a shot away. Title of the documentary, The Altamond Concert. By the way, the female that's

singing, the female that's singing back and forth with Mick Jagger, her name's Mary Clayton. She's a New Orleans native. And there's a rumor that she miscarried after singing her part on this song. Is it true? Don't know. Don't know. But it is true that that entire section is all about Mick Jagger and the Altamond Concert on Rock School. It's just a kiss

away. Gimme Shelter. This is Rolling Stones on Rock School. Good tune. Have I peaked your interest to learn about Altamond, the concert of Altamond? Yeah, yeah. Okay. Especially since you'd pick it over Woodstock 69. I want to hear what's so great about this. I'll tell you the reason I picked it is because I now know a tremendous amount about it. I never tip the next week's show. I seldom do that because I really want the audience to tune in and go, oh, great. I don't want them to sort of hear the show and go, oh, I'd rather hear that. Or, where's she at going? I don't hear that. Next week, Altamond. I'm going to explain the entire Altamond Concert. I've downloaded all of the set lists and such. And I'm going to tell you everything that happened with the Hells Angels all the way through the death of Meredith Hunter. Cool, cool. One verse to go. What do the lyrics of Eric and Pi mean? We'll be back in a minute. Home Theater, etc. Located on the corner of Morris and Mooney across from Florida Parishes Bank, supports programming on 90 .9 KSLU. Home Theater, etc. offers several brands of outdoor speakers for outdoor functions, including Clipsch, JBL,

Mirage, Yamo, and MTX. Home Theater, etc. also offers barbeque pits for purchase. The telephone number is area code 985 -340 -7777. Home Theater, etc. a proud supporter of programming on 90 .9 FM KSLU. This is Rock School. As we move along, what do the lyrics to American Pi mean last verse? Last verse. Got about 12 minutes left in the show. We should come to an end nice and right on time. Now, we've been talking about first verse timeline. Now, we explained that in the first show, but you basically said that the first line of every verse establishes a time period. Right. Okay. This one doesn't. Really? It doesn't. This is the last verse. There's a point in it doesn't apply. Well, you didn't run it past me, man. Verse 6. This is the one where it all goes nice and slow, a little piano, you know, a little tutel -doo right beforehand, and Don McLean says,

I met a girl who sang the blues, and I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away. But who is a girl who sings the blues yet no longer can speak, and has no choice but to smile and turn away? Who's that? Janice Joplin died of a heroin overdose, October 4th, 1970. So I guess in a roundabout way you are right, he does set time, because if he's talking about Janice Joplin, we must be in 1969 or early 1970s. Now, we've played Janice Joplin two or three times on this show. This twice. Why haven't we played piece of my heart? It hurt her, you know, mild stone song. Simple. I've been waiting for this one. And saving it. 1968. Now, he says, I asked her for some happy news. You don't think that it can be interpreted as he asked her to marry him? I don't think so. Happy news. She just had no happy news. He just hates what's happened to music. Yeah. There is no happy

news. Here's Janice Joplin on Rock School. I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming. That's great. That's just great. Janice Joplin, take a piece of my heart from the cheap thrills LP. Cover art by our crumb. If you really want to get into having stuff in your head, there you go. I have such a sense of satisfaction now, because every time I hear American pie, you know, I'm not going to go broadcasting it, but I'll be able to sit there and think to myself, I know exactly what that song is all about. Or at least you know what

I think the song is about. I hope I'll take it. I hope I'm right. I hope I'll accept any email from anyone that wants to think otherwise. Sure. We haven't gotten to the line yet where people actually start to argue. The argument line is the father's son and the holy ghost. All right. That's the argument line. So I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away. I think that's Janice Joplin. Okay. 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. Well, the sacred store I think is a music store, where I'd heard the music years before. I remember this blatantly. I doubt you will. You used to be able to go into a record store, and if you wanted to hear a record, you went up and said, I want to hear the new record by so -and -so. He gave you a listening copy and you went into a booth and you put the record on and you listened to it. Can you do that anymore? I've never heard of it. The online, I guess you can hear a snippet, but I remember distinctly being able to go into a record store and listen. Okay. Can't do that anymore. And I think that's what he's talking about. Okay.

The man behind the counter said, places corporate now, pal. The man says the music won't play anymore. Mm -hmm. And in the streets, the children screamed. I think he's talking about that famous time magazine photo of the napalmed children running. Yeah, I know. So I think what he's saying is the war is breaking out. We're in 1970. Yeah. Get it? Yep. The lovers cried in the poet's dream. I think he's talking about the pictures of the wives of dead soldiers and the protesters beaten by national guardsmen, mainly near Berkeley in the 1970s. But not a word was spoken. The church bells all were broken. I think this is yet another comment that corporate music had put an end to protest and folk music. Those that did it were dead or silenced. You know, the church bells all were broken. Not a word was spoken. Something horrible is happening. Somebody speak up. Nobody will. Nobody will. Now here's the line. And the three men I admired most, the father's son and the holy ghost. They caught

the last train for the coast. The day the music died. Who is or who are the father, the son, and the holy ghost? Could you be talking about the three guys that died in the plane crash? Everybody goes for that. But where does it fit? Where does the father, the son, and the holy ghost go? Do I understand father and son, Holly Valens? Yeah. That makes sense. Yeah. The big boppers, the holy ghost. That's what I'm thinking. Well, how about Kennedy, Kennedy King? Well, that makes sense. Martin Luther King. He's a reverend. He could be the Holy Ghost. That makes sense. Father's son, Kennedy, Kennedy, were brothers. That's true. King, Kennedy, Malcolm X. King. King was a father. Kennedy, you could be seen as the son of Malcolm X, the Holy Ghost, because Malcolm X gave up a violent, you know, a thought process. Maybe. Chuck Berry, Ricky Nelson, Pat Boone. Yeah. Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly. Where's the thing? I just don't think it's any of those. You know who I think it is? Who is it? I think it's the Crickets.

I think it's the Crickets. I think it's the backing band for Buddy Holly. And the reason I say that is because if it's the father, son, and the Holy Ghost, people who are dead, why would they need to catch a train for the coast? Why would they need to get on a train? What would the purpose be? I think the father, son, and the Holy Ghost are Jerry Allison, Joe Maldine, and Nikki Sullivan. Okay. Because the three of them, I wish it was more, oh my god, you're right. I think it's these three people. Jerry Allison, Joe B. Maldine, and Nikki Sullivan. The three of them attempted to make a go of it. And they tried, and they tried, and they tried. The three men I admire most, that makes sense. The father, son, and the Holy Ghost. I don't understand what father, son, and the Holy Ghost go for. It may just very well be that it fit. Three men I admire most father, son, and Holy Ghost. Get it? A little bit of artistic

license. Which by saying that, that throws every one of these groupings I just gave you back into play. This is true. So that's what I think it means. And that's the end of the whole thing. So next time you listen to American Pie, that's it. My name is Joe Burns. I'm Chad P. That's what we think it means. Classes dismissed. Bye, bye, miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry. And then good old boys were drinking whiskey and ride. Singing this will be the day that I die. This will be the day that I die. They were singing by by Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levy.