AMERICAN PIE REVIEW

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

The song came out in 1971.

My older brother had a pickup truck.

After he graduated high school it became my pickup truck.

But not really.

My dad bought a junker, changed the engine himself in the garage after work, and let us drive it if we paid for gas and insurance.

How did we earn money for gas and insurance?

My dad’s plan was to use the truck to deliver fire wood.

He had a saw and axes and kids who wanted to drive around town in anything.

The bonus was finding out if he had lazy kids who wanted things handed to them.

Picture on old man in his forties out on a causeway smoking a cigarette with no hands while he chain sawed huge rounds off of washed up logs.

Our job was to split the wood, carry it up the bank and stack it in the back of the truck until it sunk down and rode on springs.

 

No One Was Singing In ’72

Bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to The Levee, but The Levee was dry

I didn’t drive that truck looking for a levee, I was looking for American pie, American cobbler, cake, a nice crisp.

What I found was a lonely older girl I knew, a senior to my junior, walking alone one afternoon dressed in white.

Something had happened.?

Me: You want a ride?

Her: Thanks. Yes.

Here was a beauty sitting in my truck; she made me take a second look.

At the truck.

The bench seat was ripped, the panel was off the passenger side door where I worked on the window that didn’t roll down and the latch that didn’t hook.

The door stayed shut with a length of rope.

I untied the rope and she hopped in with her pack.

 

I Sang The Blues

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news

Me: Where are you headed?

Her: Pony Village. But I’ve got to change clothes. Do you mind?

Before I had an answer she stated pulling clothes out of the pack and doing the clothes change in a car like she knew what she was doing.

After she finished she leaned back and gave me a look.

Her: If you’re not too busy you could pick me up later and I’ll change again.

Me: I’m not too busy.

She pulled her shirt down, adjusted her bra, and leaned against the door with a most American Pie look.

Her: Good. I might need some help with my dress.

Me: I’m the right guy for the job.

She wiggled around on the other side of the cab while I took a left turn too fast.

With her weight the rope broke and the door flew open.

One moment she’s the sexiest girl in the world, the next she’s hanging on my door as it swung out and back.

On the return she jumped across the seat and clamped onto me like I was a door.

Her: That was a close one. I like this close one better.

Me: I’ll fix that door before I pick you up.

Her: Just tie it like it was. We’ll need the extra room later.

And they were singin’, “Bye-bye, Miss American Pie”
Drove my Chevy to The Levee, but The Levee was dry
And Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey in Rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die”