When ‘A girl who sang the blues’ refers to Janis Joplin, and ‘The Sergeants played a marching tune’ refers to Sergeant Barry Sadler’s Ballad of the Green Beret.

The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost refers to Buddy’s plane (for example, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J P Richardson, the Big Bopper), the three most prominent assassination victims of the sixties, and the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost himself. Bob Dylan is named after the character in this song, ‘The Jester,’ and it refers to the motorcycle accident that temporarily halted his career. Several references are made to specific individuals, some of them more obvious than others. The lyrics are enigmatic and have a lot of allusions thrown in for good measure.ĭon McLean wrote American Pie as a tribute to Buddy Holly. Who Was Don Mclean’s American Pie Written As A Tribute To?Ĭredit: Don McLean wrote the song American Pie to honor Buddy Holly. Finally, it appears that the jester in American Pie is, in fact, Bob Dylan. Another reason why many people believe the jester is Dylan is because the song’s line that says, “the jester is on the sidelines watching.” This line is reminiscent of the time in 1971 when Dylan was hurt in a motorcycle accident. Dylan’s style was similar to the one depicted by this description in the 1960s, when he began experimenting with different sounds and styles. Jester, for example, is someone who wears a wide variety of outfits while also having a sense of humor. As a songwriter, Dylan has been compared to Robert Johnson and Hank Williams, and as a performer to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. A number of his songs, such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’”, became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of the American civil rights movement. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and writer.

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