The following discussion will explore ‘American Pie’, the landmark 1971 recording by Don McLean. More than fifty years after its initial release, the song/track continues to fascinate listeners with its appealing musical setting and its wealth of possible meanings. Here, McLean seems to be reporting poetically on the condition of a society in danger of spinning wildly out of control. In the process, he foregrounds the importance of the singer-songwriter as a kind of early warning system for human culture...