The Complete True Story Behind “American Pie” by Don McLean

The Sacred Store Meaning

After learning about Joplin’s death, McLean turns to “the sacred store,” which is a euphemism for a record store, in line with the music as a religious experience theme established earlier in the song. However, the music he wants to listen to will no longer play. In the 1950s, many music stores offered listening booths for their customers but, by the 1970s, most had stopped this service – so one can, therefore, take the “ t he music wouldn’t play” line literally.

Getting back on the streets, McLean learns once more that the world around him has become unrecognizable:

“And in the streets, the children screamed