[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 127 - Vox double - all way through] Start on upstroke so that snare hit lands on downstroke [Main intro and verse riff] -----------------------------*all downstrokes for run down E ------------------1--3---------3-1----- B 7--7--------------1--3--7--7-7-3-17----- G 7--7-repeat twice-2--4--7--7-7-4-27------ D 7--7--------------3--5--7--7-7-5-37---- A 5--5--------------3--5--5--5-5-5-35----- E ------------------1--3-------5-3-1------ udududududududududududududududududu
[Muted intro - [D][F][G] with run - no drums] [Muted intro - [D][F][G] with run - play snare on each downbeat of run] [Intro x 2 with full drums]
[Verse 1] [D5] People... [F][G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] learnin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Soldiers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] warrin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5][F#7] keep on [G7] turnin', [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G]
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 2] [D5] Powers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] lyin', [F][G] [D5][F][G] While your [D5] people [F] .. [G] . [D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] dyin [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5][F#7] keep on [G7] turnin [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G]
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 3] I'm [G7] so darn glad he let me [D7] try it again, 'Cause my [G7] last time on earth I lived a [D7] whole world of sin, I'm [G7] so glad that I know more [D7] than I knew then, Gonna [E7] keep on tryin', [G] 'Til I [G7] reach the highest [D5] ground-- [F] -- [G] ---
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 4] [D5] Teachers.. [F] . [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] teachin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Preachers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] preachin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5] just [F#7] keep on [G7] turnin', [C9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G][D5][F][G] D5 F G D5 F G Oh, no!
[Verse 5] [D5] Lovers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] lovin', [F][G][D5][F][G] Be - [D5] lievers. [F] .. [G][D5] keep [F] on [G] be - [D5] lievin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] Sleepers. [G] .. [A][E5][F#7] just stop [G7] sleepin', [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G] [D5] Oh, no! [F] -- [G] ----- [D5] ------ [D7] -----
[Verse 6] I'm [G7] so darn glad he let me [D7] try it again, 'Cause my [G7] last time on earth I lived a [D7] whole world of sin, I'm [G7] so glad that I know more [D7] than I knew then, Gonna [E7] keep on tryin', ' [G] Til I [G7] reach my highest [D5] ground [F][G][D5][F][G]
[Coda] [D5] Woo! [F][G][D5] Til I [F] reach my [G] highest [D5] ground, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] No, [F][G][D5] no one's [F] gonna [G] bring me [D5] down, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Oh, no, [F][G][D5] til I [F] reach my [G] higher [D5] ground, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Hum, [F] don't [G] you [D5] let no - [F] body [G] bring you d [D5] own- [F] -- [G] -, [D5][F][G] [D5] God, is gonna [F] show you [G] higher [D5] ground [F][G][D5][F][G][D]
