The lyrics of “American Pie” are about “the day the music died”: Feb. 3, 1959, when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (aka “The Big Bopper”) went down in a plane crash in ...

FILE - Don McLean rides a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Feb. 22, 2019. For all those fans of the iconic song "American Pie" who have sometimes wondered about the lyrics ...

NEW YORK — Don McLean has listened for decades as people belted out his classic song “American Pie” at last call or at karaoke — and applauds you for the effort.