Context

This line is from the song "American Pie" by Don McLean from the album American Pie (1971).

So what's this "American Pie," and when can we eat it?

Well, we've got eight minutes and thirty-three seconds of folk rock that should clear it up for you. Don McLean's magnum opus, "American Pie," is all about America heading in the wrong direction. McLean saw his country becoming less idyllic and wrote "American Pie" as a response to what he felt was the decline in American culture.

The American pie referred to in the song symbolizes McLean's ideal America, while the dry levee refers to the lack of depth in American art forms.

Sorry. We know you wanted to eat pie. We're disappointed too.

Where you've heard it

Via your parents, your friend's parents, your parents' friends, or that one friend who only listens to early '70s folk rock on vinyl because it's "authentic."

This song was wildly popular in the early '70s. If you've ever mentioned the 1999 film American Pie and ended up with a roomful of 50 year olds singing about music dying, well... now you know why.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

How pretentious can it be if your dad sings it in the shower? You're safe referencing this one.