The Day the Music Died

When I first came to Olongapo City (Philippines) many years ago, I was brought by two of my new found friends to the beach to watch the sunset at the beautiful Subic Bay. 

When we got there and saw the American ships anchored at sea, I was inspired to write a song. 

The song was written in Filipino, and my opening line was a question. And there I ask, " What will happen if those ships were gone"?

A couple of years later, those ships were gone together with the nightclubs, restaurants, lights, foods, sailors, marines, bands, women, wine, drugs, money and music. 

For me, Americans are the best audience in the world. 

They love and understand music, they respond to it, and they are easy to please. Playing for them made and helped me forget everything; including misery, time and future. 

When they left some part of me  died.

At that time, I was a folksinger playing in one of the local folk houses and one of the most requested songs was American Pie. 

I admit that although I love that song, I never really understood and felt its true meaning until that day when Olongapo had become like a ghost town; and me, a lonely man walking with a heavy heart at Magsaysay Drive.