Don McLean - American Pie

本文引用自odyssey2001的"American Pie"不是派，是道憤怒拼盤


Don McLean對六○年代的悲觀看法與尖銳批判不一定人人認同，但作為一個價值觀明確的社會觀察者，他用了非常富聯想力的詞句，唱出心底最沉痛的聲音，光是其中的原創與反省精神，便值得樂迷尊敬了。

1969年追隨民謠傳奇大師Pete Seeger參與哈德遜河環保運動的經驗，讓Don McLean的創作才華被民謠前輩賞識，進而開始灌錄唱片。1971年10月發行的《American Pie》是Don McLean的第二張專輯，揮別前一年首張專輯《Tapestry》因為發行公司無力宣傳帶來的鬱悶，更換新東家後的這張專輯一夕之間將26歲的Don McLean推向樂壇頂峰，與專輯同名的主打歌"American Pie"和獻給畫家梵谷的"Vincent (Starry Starry Night)"迅速傳遍全球，成為Don McLean創作生涯中最具代表性的兩首歌曲。

這兩首歌的觀點一溫柔一嚴厲，"Vincent"以憐惜畫家梵谷的曲高合寡來抒發自己知音難尋的創作心情，由於旋律優美，經常被商業廣告所採用；"American Pie"則嚴詞批判美國社會與文化在變遷年代中的各種妥協與敗壞，堪稱是一首用心良苦的史詩民謠。

雖然"American Pie"裡的評論鏗鏘有力，但是Don McLean也刻意避免直接點名道姓，而是採用諸多比喻及隱喻來傳達想法，其用字遣詞足以顯現McLean的文學功力。

從"American Pie"單曲發行以來，外界便開始自行解讀歌詞的涵義，但從來沒有獲得Don McLean本人的證實。現在最普遍的看法是認為"American Pie"是獻給23歲就死於墜機意外的搖滾先驅Buddy Holly（與其同機身亡的尚有The Big Bopper和剛剛以"La Bamba"紅遍全球的17歲拉丁歌手Ritchie Valens），對於這點，Don McLean倒也沒有否認。

六○年代的美國處境困窘，對外因為陷入美蘇冷戰、古巴危機、越戰等國際糾紛而灰頭土臉，對內則為黑人民權運動、兩性平權運動，以及學生運動疲於奔命，動盪的國內外局勢讓美國民眾身心俱疲，難怪Don McLean格外懷念起美好的五○年代。


Don McLean的偶像Buddy Holly外表斯文，多才多藝，他生前創作的知名作品不少，現在大都已經變成五○年代的象徵歌曲，譬如"Everyday"和"Peggy Sue Got Married"，Holly在1959年2月3日清晨意外過世時，McLean還是個利用晨間送報打工的13歲青少年，正沉醉於音樂世界中，期待有天自己的樂團能夠在舞會中為大家演唱，讓大家隨音樂起舞。"American Pie"完成於1970年前後，剛剛揮別紛擾的六○年代，距離Holly過世大約十年。

筆者第一次聽這首歌時年紀還小，還不懂Don McLean在唱些什麼，國中時比較聽懂了，覺得McLean真是個苦口婆心的傢伙，在他看來，五○年代的美好時光早已隨著Buddy Holly的過世而煙消雲散（他一再強調Holly過世那一天就是音樂死亡之日），六○年代的林林種種都令他感到幻滅與失望。

從"American Pie"的歌詞中，可以約略歸納出McLean對六○年代的幾點感懷：

【浪漫的死亡】六○年代自由主義思潮盛行，基於解除既有的社會禁制、打破團體間與兩性間的權力支配，許多舊有的傳統被以「意識型態」之名加以區隔，並予以解放，「性解放」是重要風潮之一，重視承諾與專一的愛情觀不再是主流。

【純真的死亡】六○年代的搖滾樂從單曲走向長篇化與概念化，不再是讓人歡樂和舞蹈的3分鐘音樂，有的專輯與歌曲注入了革命左傾的思想、有的激發迷幻嗑藥的耽溺、有的助長暴力與邪惡的橫行；音樂會不再是凝聚「愛」與「和平」的場合，反而成為傳播藥物與暴行的罪惡淵藪。

【理想的死亡】民謠前輩與樂團（指Bob Dylan、The Byrds合唱團）背棄民謠原音，分別投向搖滾與鄉村音樂的懷抱，甚至坐擁桂冠，浪得虛名，令Don McLean感到不齒。

【信念的死亡】最後一個循善為政的美國總統約翰．甘迺迪與胞弟羅勃．甘迺迪先後於1963年及68年遇刺身亡，黑人民權領袖金恩博士(Martin Luther King)也於1968年遇刺，在喪鐘頻敲的六○年代，人們顯然遺忘了宗教、神、愛與和平等信念，成為漂流外太空的孤獨靈魂（1969年7月20日，【阿波羅11號】太空船載著3位太空人成功登陸月球）。

Don McLean對六○年代的悲觀看法與尖銳批判不一定人人認同，但作為一個價值觀明確的社會觀察者，他用了非常富聯想力的詞句，唱出心底最沉痛的聲音，光是其中的原創與反省精神，便值得樂迷尊敬了。



American Pie by Don McLean
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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 ole 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?
Now do you believe in rock and 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(*)

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 Lenin read a book on 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
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 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(*)

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
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(*)