“February made me shiver with every paper I deliver, bad news on the doorstep…..”
Don McLean’s lyrics, part of one of the greatest pop songs in American history was stuck in Matt’s head as he opened the door and stepped out into the night. McLean was specifically referring to a plane crash that occurred on the early Iowa morning of February 3, 1959, taking the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” (J.P. Richardson Jr). Three young up and coming rock stars dreams went up in flames. McLean’s haunting words “the day the music died” rocketed the song ‘American Pie’ to the top of the music charts for 16 weeks between the years 1971 and 1972 (number one song on billboard’s top 100). The lyrics tell the story of America’s political and social history ranging from World War II (1941-45), through the decade of the seventies. As Matt hummed the song in his head, he walked the streets of Bartertown the Friday night before America’s biggest game. The temperature, even for the era of climate change, was comforting. It was far too beautiful of a day to be anything but optimistic. Matt was standing facing a sign “The Four Corners.” The intersection of four stone houses built adjacent to each other pre-Revolutionary War. The sign at these crossroads was making claim to be the longest standing four corners in America. It was the same spot Matt had visited the Friday before, listening to Mary strum her tunes on the front porch of what once was the State of New York’s Senate House. The seat that she had occupied the week before was now filled by a middle-aged man blowing into a saxophone with all his heart. In the light amidst the darkness Mary waited her turn. It felt like the calm before the storm.
Two days later was Super Bowl Sunday. For the 58th time the best team in the American Football Conference would square off with the best team in the National Football Conference to determine the champion. The largest television audience, 123,000,000 people, tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers. A day like this one was all about America celebrating its love for football, music, and doting on their favorite celebrities. The great American tradition of American football and the Super Bowl should not be underscored. It is a day for all of us to put animosities aside and take a moment to root on our team, or at the very least our betting interests. The average cost for a ticket to watch the game live was $8,000. If you wanted to watch it in style, luxury suites were a bargain at an average of $2,000,000 per box. Overshadowing the players on the field was the arrival of the largest star of them all. Taylor Swift performed in Tokyo the day before. She was scene on the “big screen” arriving at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas just in time for kickoff. Swift is romantically linked to the Chief future hall of fame tight end Travis Kelce. The couple are both, America’s cutest mascots, as well as their favorite voodoo doll.
“The halftime air was sweet perfume as “Usher” played a marching tune,” Matt watched the first half in a local waterhole missing the “two” national anthem performances prior to the game. (two National Anthems?). The game itself provided the kind of adrenaline rush Matt felt back when he was heavily invested. The Chiefs 25-22 overtime victory provided all the excitement to live up to the plethora of manic hype that goes along with the event.
For one Super Sunday, with the world watching, America’s biggest game was played on the” Viva Las Vegas stage.” The true believers swear they saw the ghost of Elvis in the building. All the current world’s social and political grievance warriors took a five-hour hiatus from insulting each other to unite behind the team of their choice. The traditions of Super Bowl Sunday have morphed into a day of partying, escaping the reality of our lives, and gambling to excess. This year’s match-up was especially titillating. A pass at unity started the show with two National Anthems: The Star-Spangled banner, America’s National Anthem since 1931 (according to google, which should be stated every time you make “them” a reference as your source) was sung by country western star Reba McEntire, followed by a second national anthem (Lift every voice).
This attempt at unity felt as if it created more division. Next, the television cameras panned to show Miss Swift securely seated as the brown pigskin soared above the Vegas dome. For 55 years, in prior super bowls, the announcers kept silent and steered clear in discussing all the evils and destruction that would be caused if gambling were permitted to find its way into the purity of the NFL. Roughly 23.1 billion dollars were bet on the single game. With states in America now allowing gambling on the game, made this year’s game the most bet on sporting event ever. Yes, hypocrisy was the word of the day for the shills who market the game. Although this was Matt’s 58th viewing of the big game it was the first time he was in his house settled in for the halftime show. Matt leaned way back in his recliner and was calm and settled. For the first time he could remember, he was simply going to take the show in.
The Monday after the Super Bowl has long been a day for nursing “hangovers”. No matter how divided the country seems to be the Super Bowl brings Americans together more than any religious holiday. But the day after we return to our sobering reality that yesterday is over and the world goes right back to its current malaise. In Bartertown the day after was business as usual In the second month of the year 2024. Public radio, along with the state media, were ranting their weekly weather storm tracking about the huge snowstorm that was on its way. “We’ll be getting 12-24 inches here in the Hudson Valley and more in the upper elevations,” said the man behind the checkout of a local grocery joint, “Yup, they already closed the schools and Bartertown is in a state of emergency started at 4:00 am Tuesday morning.” It was mid-afternoon Monday and the local shopping centers were packed preparing for being snowed in for several days. You would have thought they had enough goodies left over from the party not to go into full panic mode for imaginary blizzards. Matt awoke on Tuesday morning expecting to be greeted with a winter wonderland. He looked out the window to his driveway, nothing but macadam. ‘Ok, maybe it did not stick, check the lawn.’ The ground was bare. Matt laughed to himself and crawled back into the warmth and comfort of his own lair. Eventually he made his way to the shower, continuing with his engraved smirk when it dawned on him that this week his old friend cupid was going to pay his annual visit.
“Did you write the book of love, and do you have faith in God above.” There comes a time in all our lives when we want to square the slate, pay all debts, and collect all that is owed. Matt had made decisions in recent years all with the end game of leaving him options. Matt could not help but think Ceasar’s “beware the Ides of March” had arrived early in 2024. The 14th day of February 2024 fell on Ash Wednesday, also by coincidence the day of the Super Bowl victory parade. The day that started with desks lined with flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, and kids running to the parade quickly turn into a day of tragedy. A shooting had broken out at the Kansas Chiefs Super Bowl victory dance. Matt exited the flower shop noticing all the X like ashes on the heads of other customers. ‘The double whammy of romance in religion on the same day,’ Matt thought as he headed to make a delivery. “There has been active shooters in Union Square Station Missouri, the sight of the 58th Super Bowl Parade. So far two are confirmed dead. The shooter or shooters have yet to be identified.” Matt turned the car radio off and sat for several minutes without making a move. The spectacular game and festivities ended once again with blood on the streets. That razor sharp Bill of Rights (specifically the 2nd amendment, had cut our throats). The case continues to be made for stricter gun laws, with a crowd left of center wanting to permanently ban guns from America’s citizenry. Matt had never touched a gun in his life, and like lots of proclamations he had barked, that later did not hold up, he swore he never would. Matt had no use for guns, but he also had not imagined America getting to be as dangerous as reality tells us it has. Matt’s next stop was the local county building to start the process of getting a gun permit.
“So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie, drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry, them good ole boys were drinking’ whiskey and rye singing’ this will be the day that I die.” Don McLean wrote his opus in 1971 at the age of 24. To this day he has held back on the word for word meaning of the song. At the same time he has never sold out to a music industry that always is “pushing an agenda” in their lyrics. McClean has explained that he was 15 years old when the big three fell from the sky. The event formulated his ideas for the song American Pie as well as the direction of his life. For Matt, the song was like his first love. He was 11 years old and could only listen to albums bought by his big brother, or what came through am radio. In Matt’s formulative years he had no idea what the song’s message was, but he knew it came on the radio every hour for what seemed like years. Over 50 years later this song is as relevant today as it was in 1971. The circumstances in the United States were very similar to what they are today. The war was raging in Southeast Asia and people at home in the streets were unhappy with American politics and the Vietnam War. There is a feeling across the United States these days that “American Dream” has been lost. “And as the flames flew high into the night, I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died.” It was 53 years ago that Don McLean sang the words to his prophetic anthem “in a voice that came from you and me.”
