What is Don McLean's hit song "American Pie" about in general?

Question: What is Don McLean's hit song "American Pie" about in general?

Answer: Don McLean's "American Pie" was a 1972 hit that remains one of the most popular songs of all time. In its full-length version (which, these days, is usually the version played) it runs eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds, and uses six verses and one recurring chorus to tell the story of "The Day The Music Died."

Soon after its release, listeners and DJs realized that the subject of the song was the fatal plane crash of February 3, 1959 that killed rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper (real name: J. P. Richardson). Although McLean has admitted that connection, he has steadfastly refused to reveal the meaning of the many other characters and events depicted in the song. The track is usually seen as a eulogy for America's lost innocence, one which McLean seems to date from the day of the crash -- The Day The Music Died.