園區小勝(按我回首頁)

小勝是在國小六年級正式開始接觸西洋音樂

那時候因為很喜歡台灣的南方二重唱

而她們有一張全部都是西洋歌曲的專輯

從此開始愛上的60~70年代的西洋歌曲

一聽就是20年.........

American Pie

Don  Mclean

A long long time ago
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad 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

*So bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing: This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die*

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Do you believe in rock 'n' roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncing buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

I started singing:
Bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing: This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling 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 of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singing:**
 
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

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died

We started singing:
Bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing: This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

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 light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing:**
 
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

And 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
And they were singing:**
 
They were singing:
Bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing: This'll be the day that I die

(娜姊版本的歌詞部分我用紅字)

這首歌我是從瑪丹娜翻唱時才接觸到

不過後來得知娜姊唱的是簡短版本的

跟原版的長度差了一半

原版的歌曲長度將近9分鐘

之所以會簡短歌詞

是因為要配合適合在電台播放

由於當時音樂傳播主要是電台

為了要讓歌曲有更高曝光度而刪減

有人會認為是不是前奏很長以致於拉長時間

就像"加州旅館"一樣超長前奏

但是American Pie不一樣

這首歌的8分多鐘是滿滿的歌詞

所以想要了解真正含意的建議聽完整版

兩個版本整體感覺差距很大很大

娜姊的縮小版表達出比較正面的含意

但是別誤會

簡短版本並沒有重新填詞

而是把原版一些比較悲傷的片段去除掉

而原版的歌詞只能說相當慘ORZ.....

作者是被喻為"詩人"的Don Mclean

他曾經在2008年來台灣演出

他是個Buddy Holly樂迷

但是1959年2月3號(我生日也是2/3 orz)

有個讓全世界樂迷心碎的事情發生了

音樂界傳奇人物Buddy Holly

以及其他兩位經典歌手共三人

因為客機墜機事件過世

恰巧他也是Don Mclean的偶像

歌詞裡甚至用:

The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost

所謂基督教裡的三位一體

來隱喻他崇拜的三位偶像

這件事情當時激起許多漣漪

甚至被樂迷視為"音樂死亡"之日

歌詞裡許多部分都是在敘述這件事

整個世界似乎都持續低迷

許多店家都不播放音樂了

感覺撒旦贏得了勝利毀滅了音樂

總之當時對他而言是一團糟

那個用音樂讓大家開心的世界不復見了

另外歌詞裡還有一些當時美國社會隱喻

當時美國經歷冷戰，民權運動，學生運動

古巴飛彈危機等等國際事件

讓大家灰頭土臉疲於奔命

所以副歌裡有一段隱喻:

Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry

這段被解讀成一件學生運動

當時有三名黑人學生被謀殺當成了防波堤了

(levee意為海邊的堤岸)

所以Don Mclean以American Pie來敘述

這裡的Pie當然不是指食物

可以當成是一種美國精神，音樂精神

除了American Pie外

Don Mclean還有一首經典歌曲:

"Vincent"文森

這首也有收錄在南方二重唱的專輯裡

所以也是我最早接觸到的10首歌曲之一

有興趣的朋友可以去聽聽看

以下針對每段歌詞部分來分享

Don Mclean厲害的地方在於

歌詞中用了許多的隱喻

這些隱喻老實說他本人也沒有證實

畢竟這些隱喻很多都很酸XD

若要說酸民界的始祖

Don Mclean一定是榜上有名

歌詞中對於披頭四，滾石，貓王等

一直都有批評在其中

不過當然他本人完全沒有承認

畢竟上述這些歌手都有大量粉絲

正大光明的批評總是傷感情

歌詞從一開始的50年代開始

時間線一直到70年代歌曲發表

20年裡西洋音樂的變遷很大

從一開始簡單純樸的鄉村民謠風

一直演變成搖滾，重樂器等的轉變

讓生活在美好的50年代的人相當不習慣

但是由於時代變遷

這些鄉村歌手也只能望著新時代崛起

到目前為止

大家會不會認為Don Mclean根本就是個老屁孩

不想隨著時代的進步而改變

但是各位想一想自己家裡的長輩

是不是也是常常在懷念以前的時光呢?

所以呀，會有這種心態是相當正常的呢

好了，該來研究歌詞了

首先

第一段:

A long long time ago
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

這段就是Don Mclean所謂美好的年代

音樂讓大家開心

當時的Don Mclean還是個送報生

賺賺外快聽聽喜歡的音樂快樂的過日子

但是也希望有一天他也可以帶給大家歡樂

第二段:

But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad 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

就在美好的日子過後

在1959/2/3發生了前面提過的墜機事件

在這場事件裡音樂界損失了三位人才

分別是Buddy Holly，The Big Bopper以及Ritchie Valens

其中Buddy Holly就是Don Mclean的超級偶像

更讓人難過的是他才剛剛新婚

留下來的是懷孕了的妻子

第三段:

So bye bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing: This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

這段就是經典的副歌啦

其中Miss American Pie

為何會叫這個名子?

因為剛好失事的飛機就叫American Pie

也可隱喻成一種美國精神的消失

可見Don Mclean把Buddy Holly視為重要人物

而Drove my Chevy to the levee這句

除了之前提到的黑人學生運動事件以外

也有一說是Levee是Don Mclean家鄉的酒吧

總之他都沒有對歌詞有所太多解釋

這兩種方法都有人說

第四段:

 Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so
Do you believe in rock 'n' roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncing buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

這段開始描述音樂的轉變

由於50年代是他認為美好的年代

所以這段是Don Mclean對於當時的回想

相當有意思的一個段落

可以看出當時的習慣與人文風俗

其中the book of love 是於1958年發表的歌

是由The Monotones團員所寫

也是50年代Don Mclean喜歡的歌曲

而And can you teach me how to dance real slow

這句的典故很有意思

因為以前的鄉村風音樂比較慢且時間短

大約都是3-4分鐘左右甚至更短

相當適合跳舞用

不過在音樂風格改朝換代的情況之下

要挑首適合跳舞的音樂還真難

所以這是Don Mclean的小小抱怨

而這句You both kicked off your shoes

是因為當時常常在體育館辦舞會

而當時的體育館都是木質地板居多

所以辦舞會是要請來賓拖鞋子的XD

而50年代的Don Mclean就是個小屁孩而已

喜歡的東西就跟一般人一樣

喜歡聽音樂，開著小卡車去參加舞會

總之，是他對當時年代的回憶與憧憬

第五段:

Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling 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 of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singing:

這段在描述Buddy Holly過世後的10年

也就是來到了60年代

沒想到更糟的事情發生了

奇奇怪怪的音樂陸續出現

讓原本的音樂生態更加複雜與讓人不滿

應該說讓老人們不滿XD

這裡的And moss grows fat on a rolling stone

若照字面上來看

有很大的機率是在講滾石合唱團

也有此一說是在酸Bob Dylan

因為Bob Dylan在1965年發表Like a rolling stone

而

When the jester sang for the king and queen
一般是公認就是在講Bob Dylan

這個Bob Dylan在Don Mclean眼中是個反骨仔

因為他背棄了原本的鄉村音樂

而投向現代音樂的懷抱

這讓Don Mclean相當不齒

甚至歌詞有很多地方都是在影射Bob Dylan

而且居然是用 "jester"這字來形容Bob Dylan

jester意指弄臣或是小丑

其實Bob Dylan是美國樂壇的一個重要歌手

他早期致力於民權運動

包含馬丁路德的註明演說:我有一個夢

都有Bob Dylan的積極參與

而這句In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

典故是這樣的

Bob Dylan在某張專輯發表裡的打扮

跟James Dean在電影中的穿著很相似

所以整串

When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

根本就是衝著Bob Dylan而來的無誤XD

再來

Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown

意指就在貓王沒落之後

Bob Dylan趁機而入

成為當時比貓王更享名聲的歌手

是說，Bob Dylan也是真的要有兩把刷子

才有辦法幹掉貓王奪取皇冠

著名歌曲Blowing in the wind 

就是Bob Dylan常被用在民權運動的超好聽歌曲

內容反戰，愛好和平且感人

建議大家可以找來聽，超讚DER

而

The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned

應該就是指甘迺迪總統與馬丁路德被刺殺的事件

雖然跟音樂無關

不過一開始我們有提到

American Pie就像一部50-70年代的大字典

內容融合了音樂與時事

根本就是當時美國的活歷史課本....

接下來這兩句我覺得超酸超酸的XD

應該可以列為本歌最酸的一句

The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark

這裡的quartet practiced很明顯是在講披頭四

因為當時會紅到被拿來說嘴的大概就是披頭四了

畢竟當時紅的四人團體不多

而Don Mclean居然把披頭四的歌說成是dirges

dirges是指輓歌XD

只能說Don Mclean真的是戰力滿點

酸到不能再酸了

第六段:

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

Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died

這段一樣再繼續酸披頭四以及其他樂團

Helter-skelter是暗指劈頭四的歌曲

而

The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass

是指一個樂團團員的吸毒事件

The Byrds樂團在經過爆紅之後

因為某團員吸毒被逮而一落千丈

看在Don Mclean眼中

需要靠毒品的創作是不及格的

接下來一句

The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

沒錯!!!!(灑花)

jester又出場惹~~

這次被Don Mclean隱喻為jester的Bob Dylan

因為一次車禍只能暫時離開樂壇在場邊休息

這時候一些新進的歌手們以為可以趁機揚眉吐氣惹

沒想到卻因為有披頭四擋在前面

讓這些年輕後輩一樣沒機會

這裡的players就是年輕歌手

雖然他們趁機想要把球往前傳

但是還是跨不過披頭四強大的影響力

While the sergeants played a marching tune

這句的典故是這樣的

由於披頭四當時的部分曲風很像唱軍樂

所以才用士官在演奏marching tune進行曲來隱喻

第七段:

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 light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing:**

這段時間來到了60年代的尾聲

這句A generation lost in space

意指1969年7月21的全人類大事件

阿波羅11號登錄月球

亦等同Don Mclean年代的人已經慢慢老了

人類開始嚮往外太空發展

自己已經跟不上時代了

除了人類的大事件要唱以外

當然不能忘記酸民的本業

這邊開始酸滾石合唱團了

So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

這裡的意指Jack Flash(閃電傑克)是滾石的一首歌:

Jumping Jack Flash

而candlestick則是意指滾石曾經開過演唱會的地方

這段後面用到了惡魔撒旦這個字眼了

可見Don Mclean真的很不喜歡這些歌手XD

第八段:

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

And 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
And they were singing:**

這段已經是長達八分多鐘的American Pie的收尾了

其中這幾句

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away

是在意指一位藍調女歌手Janis Joplin

在歌唱事業高峰後

她因為吸食過量毒品在1970年死亡

最後歌詞中帶回來三個值得敬愛的辭世歌手

The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost

就是指 

Buddy Holly，The Big Bopper以及Ritchie Valens

整個歌曲也在緬懷這三位經典人物中結束

基本上，真的是一首值得一聽再聽的歌曲

歌中有無奈，有氣憤，有失望也有難過

娜姊後來唱的是輕快板

建議沒聽過Don Mclean原唱的一定要聽過

8分多鐘可以了解50-70當時的美國

只能說Don Mclean功力深厚

而且每段都酸到恰到好處XD

就算你是這些受害者的歌迷

也很建議來聽聽看!!!

強力推薦!!!