Reaching its height in popularity in 1972, the song talks about the shift of American culture from fifties to the sixties. America went from being a conformed, happy place to a harborer of radical movements and rebelling citizens.
McLean thought that this transition correlated with the shift in music that occurred while all this was going on. According to McLean the day Buddy Holly died, (February 3rd, 1959) was "the day the music died." I think he would also agree that the innocence of America expired right around that time as well. Referencing other musicians such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley, McLean clearly felt strongly about a new kind of music taking over.
I think that like the sixties, this past decade has been another major turning point for the music Americans are listening to. With rap and hip-hop becoming the most common choice of music for our generation, I wonder: Is American culture changing along with the music?
I think that the music always changes with the culture because a nation's music is often a defining feature of a culture. In the movie "Forrest Gump" there is a lot of great music from the 1960s/70s in order to try and capture that era and put it on screen for the viewers to feel. As Gump grew and changed, so the United States, and consequently so did the music.
ReplyDeleteAll-in-all, I find that music can be a fascinating way to gain a deeper understanding of what a particular generation is feeling and going through. With rap and hip-hop gaining popularity among communities like New Trier, it makes me wonder why. What is changing in our world today that is causing for this change in music preference? What are artists singing or rapping about that is quintessential to our generation?