The Sacred Store Meaning
After he learns about Joplin’s death, the narrator turns to “the sacred store,” which is a euphemism for a record store, in line with the music as a religious experience vibe that was established earlier in the song. However, the music he wants to listen to would no play anymore. In the 1950s, many music stores offered listening booths for their customers, but as the 1970’s came, most of them weren’t providing this service anymore so that one can take the “the music wouldn’t play” line literally.
Photo of 70’s and RECORD STORE; Bleeker Bob’s Records (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns)
As he gets back on the streets, McLean learns once more that the world around him has become unrecognizable:
“And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken.”
Nothing is the same anymore, and what once a vibrant culture is now dead, aptly represented in song by the image of the broken church bells.