Friday marks 58 years since Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P Richardson died in a horrible plane crash around Clear Lake, Iowa. This happened during their tour. Several investigations have said that the cause of the crash was due to weather. This day was later known as the day the music died. This title was given by the song "American Pie" by Don McLean.
If you don't know this song then I suggest you pause reading this article and go listen to the song. It is a little lengthy at about eight minutes. This song was released in 1971, and later went on to win a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Don has been asked several times about the true meaning of the song, and has said himself that it was open to each person's interpretation based on the world at that time. Since today is the anniversary, I thought it would be neat to give my own interpretation of the song based on today's events.
1. A long, long time ago:
In a galaxy far, far away. Star wars is one of the most loved franchises and has almost reached up to three generations. The most current one came out December of 2016, and more have been scheduled.
2. Bad news on the doorstep:
Every day there is more bad news. The only difference is that today it is right in front of us at all times and everywhere we look. Instead of being at feet, it's at our fingertips. Not in the form of a newspaper.
3. Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry:
Nearly half of California is still experiencing droughts. Even wild fires have sparked up across the nation including one in the Great Smoky Mountains that destroyed more than 2,460 structures.
4. Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye:
Today, sadly, they are drinking Starbucks.
5. The book of love:
Nothing has changed about what I consider to be the book of love, the Bible. God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die for us.
6. You both kicked off your shoes:
My parents and grandparents still talk about school dances and parties with dancing and how great it was. We don't have a ban on dancing but we might as well be like the movie "Footloose."
7. With a pink carnation and a pickup truck:
That hasn't changed here in the south, boys are still driving there big 'ole pickup truck.
8. And moss grows fat on a rolling stone:
The only thing that grows fat around here is our youth. The obesity rate is as high as it has ever been because kids are not going outside and are too consumed with television and video games.
9. And a voice that came from you and me:
Donald Trump was thought to be a joke. The polls didn't give him a chance, but when the votes were counted the people voiced a change in the White House.
10. With the jester on the sidelines in a cast:
Most will remember the injury that was voted most shocking moment in sports history. In 1985, Joe Theismann broke his leg running a play called the flea-flicker on Monday night football. The injury ended his career.
11. The marching band refused to yield:
From the most shocking moment of sports history to what some think to be the most memorable play of college football. The Cal-Stanford game of 1982. "The band is on the field! The band is on the field!"
12. Oh, there we were all in one place, a generation lost in space, with no time left again:
We would all like to go back in time to change the awful fate of the astronauts on the Challenger. We all remember where we were when it happened and remember being glued to the television while all this was happening. The first teacher was being launched into space while many students watched the horrible outcome on live television.
13. And as the flames climbed high into the night, to light the sacrificial rite, I saw Satan laughing with delight:
Our modern day Satan would have been Bid Laden and how he took credit for what happened on September 11th, 2001. We were all filled with sadness and rage as we watched history being written.
14. I went down to the sacred store, where I'd heard the music years before:
You used to listen to vinyl records all the time and now it just makes you more hip to have a record player. Even with today's technology people go retro and still flood record shops to buy old vinyls. My dad still listens to "Great Balls of Fire," by Jerry Lee Lewis on my great grandfathers 1960 Console record player.
In my opinion, the music never dies.
