American Pie，美国派。一首史诗级的歌。这首八分半长的歌，歌词有一篇散文那么长，美国六十多年的历史都在其中。后世对这首歌评价很高，可以参照老鹰乐队的《加州旅馆》。深邃而忧伤，尽管调子初听起来很明亮。有心的人，可以耐心地把歌词看完。
关于这首歌有诸多故事。其中最著名的要属张国荣的。当年张国荣参加选秀唱的就是这首美国派。唱了五分多钟，当时他坚持要唱完，觉得只唱一半失去了原味。后来张国荣大红大紫。值得玩味的是，他是亚军，而当年的冠军早已默默无闻了。
A long long time ago
我依然记得从前那段时光
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
音乐总使我脸上泛起微笑
And I knew if I had my chance
而我知道假如我有机会
That I could make those people dance
让那些人翩翩起舞
And maybe they'd be happy for a while.
或许他们会开心一阵子
But February made me shiver
但二月让我不停颤抖
With every paper I'd deliver
伴随我送出的每份报纸
Bad news on the doorstep
坏消息躺在门口
I couldn't take one more step
我动弹不得
I can't remember if I cried
我记不起自己是否哭过
When I read about his widowed bride
在我得知他遗孀的消息时
But something touched me deep inside
但有些事深深触动了我
The day the music died
那一天 音乐已死去
So Bye-bye' Miss American Pie
那么 再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早就干涸
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着：有朝一日我将逝去
This'll be the day that I die
有朝一日我将逝去
Did you write the Book of Love
爱之书是你写的吗
And do you have faith in God above
假如圣经告诉你这些
If the Bible tells you so
你会信仰上帝吗
Do you believe in rock 'n roll
你会相信摇滚吗
Can music save your mortal soul
音乐能拯救你终将死去的灵魂吗
And can you teach me how to dance real slow
你能教我怎么慢慢舞蹈吗
Well' I know that you're in love with him
好吧 我知道你已经爱上了他
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
因为我看到你们在健身房双双起舞
You both kicked off your shoes
还踢掉了你们的舞鞋
Man' I dig those rhythm and blues
哥们 我终于搞懂了节奏蓝调
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
我曾是个孤独少年
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
伴着一朵粉色康乃馨和一辆皮卡车
But I knew I was out of luck
但我知道自己不够幸运
The day the music died
那一天 音乐已死去
I started singin'
我开始歌唱
Bye-bye' Miss American Pie
再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早就干涸
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着：有朝一日我将逝去
This'll be the day that I die
有朝一日我将逝去
Now for ten years we've been on our own
十年后的现在属于我们
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
滚石上生长着苔藓
But that's not how it used to be
但已不是当年的样子
When the jester sang for the King and Queen
当那小丑向国王与王后献唱时
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
他穿着向詹姆斯迪恩借来的外套
And a voice that came from you and me
声音却来自你我之间
Oh' and while the King was looking down
哦，当国王点头之时
The jester stole his thorny crown
那小丑盗走了他的荆棘王冠
The courtroom was adjourned
法庭休庭了
No verdict was returned
没有判决返还
And while Lennon read a book of Marx
当列侬读马克思时
The quartet practiced in the park
四重奏在公园上演
And we sang dirges in the dark
我们于黑暗之中唱起挽歌
The day the music died
在音乐死去的那天
We were singing
我们唱着
Bye-bye' Miss American Pie
再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早已干涸
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着：有朝一日我将逝去
This'll be the day that I die
有朝一日我将逝去
Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
杀人王曼森在炎炎夏日出没
The Byrds flew off with a fallout shelter
飞鸟乐队飞过沉降物掩蔽所
Eight miles high and falling fast
从八英里高的地方急速坠下
It landed foul out on the grass
最终落在草地上
The players tried for a forward pass
球员们试着传球前进
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
场边坐着那个小丑
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
中场休息时的空气又香又甜
While the Sergeants played a marching tune
此时中士吹响了进行曲
We all got up to dance
我们都起身跳舞
Oh' but we never got the chance
哦，但我们再无机会了
'Cause the players tried to take the field
因为球员即将上场
The marching band refused to yield
军乐队拒绝让步
Do you recall what was revealed
你是否会想起什么？
The day the music died
那一天 音乐已死去
We started singing
我们开始唱着
Bye-bye' Miss American Pie
再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早已干涸
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着：有朝一日我将逝去
This'll be the day that I die
有朝一日我将逝去
Oh' and there we were all in one place
哦，我们曾聚在一处
A generation Lost in Space
在太空中迷失的一代
With no time left to start again
已没有时间重来
So come on' Jack be nimble' Jack be quick
所以加油啊 杰克快点儿 再快点儿
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
杰克弗莱士坐在烛台上
'Cause fire is the Devil's only friend
因为火焰是魔鬼唯一的朋友
Oh' and as I watched him on the stage
哦，当我看到他在舞台上
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
我双手愤怒地握紧拳头
No angel born in hell
没有天使生于地狱
Could break that Satan's spell
怎能打碎撒旦的诅咒
And as the flames climbed high into the night
火焰升到夜空中
To light the sacrifical rite
照亮了整个祭祀仪式
I saw Satan laughing with delight
我看见撒旦得意的笑
The day the music died
那一天 音乐已死去
He was singing
他唱着
Bye-bye' Miss American Pie
再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早已干涸
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着：有朝一日我将逝去
This'll be the day that I die
有朝一日我将逝去
I met a girl who sang the blues
我遇见一个唱蓝调的姑娘
And I asked her for some happy news
我问她 是否有好消息
But she just smiled and turned away
而她只是笑着转身离去
I went down to the sacred store
我又走到那家唱片店
Where I'd heard the music years before
多年前我曾在这儿听过音乐
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
但那儿的人告诉我 音乐再也不会播放
And in the streets the children screamed
在街上 孩子们高声尖叫着
The lovers cried' and the poets dreamed
情侣们哭泣着 而诗人们做着梦
But not a word was spoken
却都一言不发
The church bells all were broken
教堂的钟都被打破
And the three men I admire most
而我最欣赏三个人
The Father' Son and the Holy Ghost
圣父 圣子和圣灵
They caught the last train for the coast
他们赶上了前往海岸的最后一班列车
The day the music died
那一天 音乐已死去
And they were singing
他们唱着
Bye-bye' Miss American Pie
再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早已干涸
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着 有朝一日我将逝去
This'll be the day that I die
有朝一日我将逝去
They were singing bye-bye' Miss American Pie
他们唱着：再见吧 美国派小姐
Drove my chevy to the levee
开着我的雪弗兰前往堤岸
But the levee was dry
然而堤岸早已干涸
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
那些老男孩喝着黑麦威士忌
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
唱着：有朝一日我将逝去