it's about it's about elvis who was the king from 1955 til his death but how others came upon the music scene and changed the way the songs were sung. While the reason the day the music died is about the plane crash in iowa it means more than that. Look at the original 45, you will find the author of the song. I drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry means when you drive your car to get gas there will be no gas. American pie is about the fall of america and all she was to suppose to stand for. Sex, drugs, do as thy wilt is the message. You will know my children by their fruits. Rock and roll is an instrument used by satan to decieve the masses. So I ask you, is it God ypu can save your mortl soul or rock and roll. It goes on to say can music save your mortal soul. The song sats do you believe in god or do you believe in rock and roll. My understanding of the song is that it refers to america herself. Certain thoughts come out of one door and certain thoughts come out of the other. There are two ways of thiking, two doors you can go through. There are two froms of energy in the world. Where do songs come from? Many artist will tell you it just came to them., but from where? If you dig deep into the music industry, you will see alot of evil things going on. & Lenin - not Lennon - read a book of Marx 'Contrary to popular belief, 'America Pie' was not the name of the aircraft on which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson died in 1959.' Although Mr McLean declines to run through all the cultural references, the catalogue says it is probably safe to conclude that references to the king mean Elvis Presley, Helter Skelter refers to the Charles Manson murders, and “the jester on the sidelines in a cast” is Bob Dylan.' It describes falling to his knees to his pray: “And I promised to give all I have to give, If only he would make the music live again.” His prayers are answered, “and the music lived again' or 'was reborn” depending on which version you are reading. But his notes offer the tantalising prospect of a lost redemptive verse. And he said the lyrics reflected the way the world had declined in the years since it was written.

I don't know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense. 'Basically in American Pie things are heading in the wrong direction. Rob Crilly's article cites the following excerpts from McLean's notes and interview. I apologize if I missed existing references to these sites. In 2015 Don McLean clarified some misinterpretations of the lyrics to American Pie.

American pie song meaning