Discover How Does American Pie Relate To The Vietnam War?

The song American Pie opens by taking listeners back to Don McLean’s 1959, to an America before the Beatles invaded Ed Sullivan and Vietnam War protests took over city blocks. McLean described it as “a long, long time ago.” It’s in the first verse that he refers to the Iowa plane crash that would be known for decades to come.

The Vietnam War was a defining event in American history. It was a long and bloody conflict that deeply divided the country. Many young people protested the war, and it was a major topic of discussion in popular culture. The war had a profound impact on American society, and it is likely that this impact is what McLean is referring to in American Pie. The line “the jester sang for the king and queen” could be interpreted as a reference to the Vietnam War and the role that the American government played in it. The line “the day the music died” could be seen as a reference to the end of the Vietnam War and the loss of innocence that it symbolized for many Americans.