The Day the Music Died

You can always tell the peeps that didn't live through those times. It was more than just about the music. It was more about the emotions of that time and how the lyrics were woven into the times.

Like pjtexas I'm puzzled by the negative comments, I found the film fascinating. The film was about more than 'Don and the song', and continuing interpretations of the lyrics - that's been done to death. It was about the enduring impact of American Pie on listeners. I hadn't heard of Jade Bird either (though I'm also English), but the point was that she wanted to record a song written by another 25 year-old singer-songwriter 50 years ago. Neither song nor film may be technically perfect, but it's how they make you feel. I'm not just English, I'm an emotionally reserved Brit - but I was moved by both. Good job chaps!

Well, first up, I admit that I LOVE Don McLean's American Pie. It's a remarkable, epic work of art that is as relevant now as it was 50 years ago. And I doubt whether there is a more widely known song, spanning generations, across the world.

This program gives us some great insight into Don's life and times and a cultural history of the period. It looks at what it's meant to so many people in so many places.

Some well-known guests talk about the impact of the song over the years, too.

All in all, it's a great tribute to a brilliant singer/songwriter and the magic he created with American Pie.

This documentary was great, an incredible walk back in history about those times and the state of the world then. Learning more about the origins of the song parts was fascinating. Not sure why such negativity from people here.

This documentary has some really nice parts, but, all in all, it was a bit too long and a bit too much. It was easy to go from thinking what a great song "American Pie" was to thinking it wasn't THAT great. This film makes it seem like it was the greatest song ever written about America, if not the greatest song ever written. I have half a dozen Don McLean songs on my iPod. "American Pie" is not one of them.

The best parts of the documentary are the ones focusing on the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson, and the parts about Don McLean's childhood and song writing methods. He would write lyrics out by hand, and then type them up on a little typewriter on a little school desk with rockers attached. (Don't expect anything in this film about the singer's personal life as an adult, including abuse charges by his daughter and ex-wife.)

There's lots of good looks back at the '50s-'70s, too, and the singer even discusses the meaning of some of the lyrics to the song. No, the references to the "joker" and the "girl who sang the blues" weren't about anyone famous. It's really too bad the film makers didn't realize all the praise for the song went too far and lasted too long. Nevertheless, it's a worthwhile documentary to watch, especially if you lived through those three decades.