[Intro BPM 138] A [G] long, [D/F#] long time [Em7] ago [Am] I can still re [C] member how that [Em] music used to make me [D] smile And [G] I knew [D/F#] if I had [Em7] my chance That [Am] I could make those [C] people dance and [Em] maybe they'd be [C] happy for a [D] while
But [Em] February [Am] made me shiver, [Em] with every paper I'd [Am] deliver [C] Bad news [G/B] on the [Am] doorstep, I couldn't [C] take one more step [D] I [G] can't remem [D/F#] ber if I [Em] cried when I [Am7] read about his [D] widowed bride [G] Something [D/F#] touched me [Em] deep inside The [C] day the [D7] music died [G]
[Chorus] So [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 2] [G] Did you write the [Am] book of love And do [C] you have faith in [Am] God above, [Em] if the bible [D] tells you so? [G] Do you [D/F#] believe in [Em] rock and roll Can [Am7] music save your [C] mortal soul and [Em] can you teach me [A7] how to dance [D] real slow?
Well I [Em*] know that you're in [D*] love with him 'cuz I [Em*] saw you dancin' [D*] in the gym You [C] both kicked [G/B] off your [Am] shoes, man I [C] dig those rhythm and [D7] blues I was a [G] lonely [D/F#] teenage [Em] bronckin' buck with a [Am] pink carnation and a [C] pickup truck But [G] I knew [D/F#] I was [Em] out of luck the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C] , [G] I started [D] singin'
[Chorus] So [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 3] Now for [G] ten years we've been [Am] on our own and [C] moss grows fat on a [Am] rolling stone [Em] but that's not how it [D] used to be When the [G] jester [D/F#] sang for the king [Em] and queen in a [Am7] coat he borrowed [C] from James Dean in a [Em] voice that came [A7] from you and [D] me
Oh, and [Em*] while the king was [D*] looking down, the [Em*] jester stole his thorny [D*] crown The [C] courtroom [G/B] was ad [A7] journed, [C] no verdict was re [D7] turned And while [G] Lennin read [D/F#] a book [Em] on Marx, the [Am] quartet practiced [C] in the park And [G] we sang [D/F#] dirges [Em] in the dark the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C] , [G] we were [D] singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 4] [G] Helter skelter in a [Am] summer swelter [C] the birds flew off with [Am] a fallout shelter, [Em] eight miles high and [D] fallin' fast [G] It landed [D/F#] foul [Em] on the grass the [Am7] players tried for a [C] forward pass [Em] with the jester on the [A7] sidelines in a [D] cast
Now the [Em*] half-time air was [D*] sweet perfume, while [Em*] sergeants played a [D*] marching tune [C] We all got [G/B] up to dance [A7] but we [C] never got the [D7] chance 'Cuz the [G] players [D/F#] tried to [Em] take the field, the [Am] marching band re [C] fused to yield Do [G] you re [D/F#] call what [Em] was revealed the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C] , [G] we started [D] singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 5] And [G] there we were all [Am] in one place a [C] generation [Am] lost in space, [Em] with no time left to [D] start again So come on [G] Jack be [D/F#] nimble, [Em] Jack be quick, [Am7] Jack Flash sat on a [C] candle stick, [Em] 'cuz fire is the devil's [A7] only friend [D]
And as [Em*] I watched him [D*] on the stage, my [Em*] hands were clenched in [D*] fists of rage No [C] angel [G/B] born in [A7] Hell could [C] break that Satan's [D7] spell And as the [G] flames climbed [D/F#] high into [Em] the night to [Am] light the sacri [C] ficial rite I saw [G] Satan [D/F#] laughing [Em] with delight the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died [C][G] he was [D] singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
[Verse 6] I [G] met a [D/F#] girl who [Em] sang the blues And I [Am] asked her for some [C] happy news, but [Em] she just smiled and turned [D] away I [G] went down [D/F#] to the [Em] sacred store Where I'd [Am] heard the music [C] years before, but [Em] the man there said [C] the music wouldn't [D] play
But [Em*] in the streets the [Am*] children screamed, the [Em*] lovers cried and the [Am*] poets dreamed But [C] not a [G/B] word was [Am] spoken, the [C] church bells all were [D] broken And the [G] three men [D/F#] I admire [Em] most, the [Am7] Father, [C] Son, and the [D7] Holy Ghost [G] They caught the [D/F#] last train [Em] for the coast the [C] day the [D7] music [G] died, [N.C.] And they were singin'
[Chorus] [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [Em*] this will be the day that I [A7*] die, [Em*] this will be the day that I die [D7]
They were singin' [G] bye, [C] bye Miss [G] American [D] Pie Drove my [G] Chevy to the [C] levy but the [G] levy was [D] dry And them [G] good old [C] boys were drinkin' [G] whiskey and [D] rye Singin' [C] this will be the [D7] day that I [G] die [C][G]
[Intro - BPM 129 - No drums] (playing 7th fret of G chord - move left hand up and use other fingers to mute lower bass strings so high B really stands out) [Tab] E x--3-0---3-7--7--3-- B 3--2-0---0-0--3--0-- G 2--3-0---0-0--2--0-- D 0----2---0-0--0--0-- A -----2---x-x-----x-- E -----0---3-x-----3--
E x--3-0---3-3s5s7--7--3-3 B 3--2-0---0-0-0-0--3--0-0 G 2--3-0---0-0-0-0--2--0-0 D 0----2---0-0-0-0--0--0-0 A -----2---x-----x-----x-x E -----0---3-----x-----3-3 Dr---------------------S-S
[Chords - alternative to tab] D x x Dsus2 - Em x x Em7 - G x A7sus4 G/B - D/A D/A G G D x x Dsus2 - Em x x Em7 - G x A7sus4 G/B - D/A D/A (drums in) G G
[Verse 1] [A] Wake up Maggie I [G] think I've got something to [D] say to you It's [A] late September and I [G] really should be [D] back at school I [G] know I keep you a [D] mused But I [G] feel I'm being [A] used Oh [Em] Maggie I couldn't have [F#m] tried any [Em] more [Dsus2/F#] You [Em] led me away from [A] home just to [Em] save you from being a [A] lone You [Em] stole my heart, and [A] that's what really [D] hurts
[Verse 2] The [A] morning sun when it's [G] in your face really [D] shows your age But [A] that don't worry me [G] none, in my eyes you're [D] everything I [G] laughed at all your [D] jokes, my [G] love you didn't need to [A] coax Oh [Em] Maggie I couldn't have [F#m] tried any [Em] more [Dsus2/F#] (optional to add at end of previous line - DM9/F# 200220 A7sus2/E 002000) You led [Em] me away from [A] home just to [Em] save you from being [A] alone You [Em] stole my soul that's a [A] pain I can [G] do with [D] out
[Verse 3] [A] All I needed was a [G] friend to lend a [D] guiding hand But you [A] turned into a lover and [G] mother what a lover you [D] wore me out [G] All you did was wreck my [D] bed And in the [G] morning kick me in the [A] head Oh [Em] Maggie I couldn't have [F#m] tried any [Em] more [Dsus2/F#] You [Em] led me away from [A] home 'cause you [Em] didn't want to be a [A] lone You [Em] stole my heart I couldn't [A] leave you [G] if I [D] tried
[Guitar Solo] Em A D G Em G D D
[Verse 4] [A] I suppose I could [G] collect my books and get on [D] back to school Or [A] steal my daddy's [G] cue and make a living out of [D] playing pool Or [G] find myself a rock and roll [D] band that [G] needs a helping [A] hand Oh [Em] Maggie, I wish I'd [F#m] never seen your [Em] face [Dsus2/F#] You made a [Em] first class fool out of [A] me, but I'm as [Em] blind as a fool can [A] be You [Em] stole my heart but I [A] love you [G] any [D] way
[Guitar Solo - Play chords higher up to make more interesting] Em A D G Em G D D Em A D G Em G
[Mandolin Solo - Strum tremelo - bass drum on just first note of bar] (slightly mute - especially lower notes so more like a mandolin) Play Em with 3rd finger on top 3 notes and 2nd finger playing low E [D][Em][G][D] x 4 E 10----12-12------15-----14-12-10- B 10----10-12------12-----12-12-10- G 11----11-12------0------------11- D 0-----0--X------(0)------------0- A ---------X----------------------- E ---------12----------------------
[Outro] [D] Maggie, I [Em] wish I'd [G] never seen your [D] face [G] D Em7 G6 D G D [Dsus2] I'll [D] get on back [Em7] home, [G6] one of [G] these [D] days [G][D] D Em7 G6 D G D D Em7 G6 D G D (fade out)
