[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]
[Verse 1] I play the [Fm7] street life, because there's [Bbm7] no place I can go [Cm7] Street life, Its the [Fm7] only life I know. [Fm7] Street Life, and there's a [Bbm7] thousand cards to play, [Cm7] Steet Life, until you [Fm7] play your life away.
[Chorus-quick changes] You [Bbm7] let the people [Db/Eb-x66666] see, just who you [Cm7] wanna be, [F7#9-13x214] And [Bbm7] every night you [Db/Eb-x66666] shine, just [Abmaj7] like a superstar. The [Abm7] type of life that's [B/Db-x44444] played, a [F#maj7] temptin' mas[Gm7-5-343363] querade You [Bbm7] dress you walk you [Db/Eb-x66666] talk, You're [Abmaj7] who you think you are [C7#5#9-hendrix-x32344]
[Verse 2] [Fm7] Street life, You can [Bbm7] run away from time, [Cm7] Street life, For a [Fm7] nickel, or a dime, [Fm7] Street life, But you [Bbm7] better not get old, [Cm7] Street life, Or you're [Fm7] gonna feel the cold.
[Chorus] There's [Bbm7] always love for [Db/Eb] sale a [Cm7] grown-up fairy [F7#9] tale Prince [Bbm7] Charming always [Db/Eb] smiles behind [Abmaj7] a silver spoon And [Abm7] if you keep it young [B/Db] your [F#maj7] song is always [Gm7-5] sung Your [Bbm7] love will pay your way [Db/Eb] beneath [Abmaj7] the silver moon
[Chorus - To play the horn part at end of B7 play 10 and 12 on B string, then 6 and 8 on E string for F] [Emaj7-0x999x] Street life [B7/D#-11x999x][C#m7][B7] [Emaj7] Street life [B7/D#][C#m7][B7] [Fmaj7-133211] Street life [C7/E-0x5556][Dm7][C7] [Fmaj7] Street life [C7/E][Dm7]
[Verse] I play the [Fm7] street life Because there's [Bbm7] no place I can go [Cm7] Street life It's the [Fm7] only life I know [Fm7] Street life And there's a [Bbm7] thousand cards to play [Cm7] Street Life Until you [Fm7] play your life away- oh
[Chorus - To play the horn part at end of B7 play 10 and 12 on B string] [Emaj7-0x999x] Street life [B7/D#-11x999x][C#m7][B7] [Emaj7] Street life [B7/D#][C#m7][B7] [Fmaj7-133211] Street life [C7/E-0x5556][Dm7][C7] [Fmaj7] Street life [C7/E][Dm7][C7]
[Emaj7-0x999x] Street life [B7/D#-11x999x][C#m7][B7] [Emaj7] Street life [B7/D#][C#m7][B7] [Fmaj7-133211] Street life [C7/E-0x5556][Dm7][C7] [Fmaj7] Street life [C7/E][Dm7]
[End - .X = 12(3)(1)] [Fm7] play rhythm once - X x .X .X X
[Mad bit removed from second half of sax solo] C#m7 F#9sus4-111313 - Bmaj7 Bm7 E9sus4-000202 Amaj7 - Bbm7 Eb9sus4-x66666 Abmaj7
[Interlude Riff - play high part with thumb and first finger as naturally mutes the G string with thumb] E --6--------- B ----9p6------- G x---------- D 6---------- A 6---------- E 6----------
