Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
A long, long time ago
– He roa, he wa roa i mua
I can still remember how that music
– Ka mahara tonu ahau ki taua waiata
Used to make me smile
– Whakamahia ki te hanga ataata ahau
And I knew if I had my chance
– A i mohio ahau mehemea i whai waahi ahau
That I could make those people dance
– Kia taea ai e au te kanikani i aua tangata
And maybe they’d be happy for a while
– A, tērā pea ka hari rātau mō tētahi wā
But February made me shiver
– Engari i meinga ahau e hui tanguru kia wiri
With every paper I’d deliver
– Ki ia pepa ka tukuna e au
Bad news on the doorstep
– He korero kino i te pātaka
I couldn’t take one more step
– Kaore e taea e au te tango i tetahi atu taahiraa
I can’t remember if I cried
– Kāore au e mahara mēnā i tangi au
When I read about his widowed bride
– I taku pānui i tana wahine marena hou
But something touched me deep inside
– Engari he mea i pa ki ahau i roto i te hohonu
The day the music died
– Te rā i mate ai te waiata
So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– Na,kia ora, E Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa, engari he maroke te taiepa
And them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– A ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
– Ka waiata, ” Ko te rā tēnei ka mate ahau
This’ll be the day that I die”
– Koinei te ra ka mate ahau”
Did you write the book of love?
– I tuhituhi koe i te pukapuka o te aroha?
And do you have faith in God above
– A kei te whakapono koe Ki te Atua i runga Ake nei
If the Bible tells you so?
– Ki te mea te Bibilia ki a koutou kia?
Now, do you believe in rock ‘n’ roll?
– Na, e whakapono ana koe ki te toka ‘n’ roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
– Ka taea e te waiata te whakaora i tō wairua tangata?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
– A ka taea e koe te whakaako i ahau ki te kanikani tino puhoi?
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
– E mohio ana ahau kei te aroha koe ki a ia
‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym
– ‘Nā te mea i kite ahau i a koe e kanikani ana i te whare hākinakina
You both kicked off your shoes
– I tīmata rāua i ō hu
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
– E te tangata, ka keri ahau i aua puoro me te puoro
I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
– He taiohi mokemoke ahau, he broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
– Me te karaka mawhero me te taraka taraka
But I knew I was out of luck
– Engari i mohio ahau kaore au i te waimarie
The day the music died
– Te rā i mate ai te waiata
I started singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– I tīmata ahau ki te waiata, kia ora, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa, engari he maroke te taiepa
Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– Ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
And singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
– Ka waiata, ” Ko te rā tēnei ka mate ahau
This’ll be the day that I die”
– Koinei te ra ka mate ahau”
Now, for ten years we’ve been on our own
– Na, mō te tekau tau, kua noho mātou ki a mātou anō
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone
– Ka tipu te ngako o te koriri ki runga i te kohatu hurihuri
But that’s not how it used to be
– Engari ehara i te mea i mua
When the jester sang for the king and queen
– I te wa i waiata ai te kaitiaki mo te kingi me te kuini
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
– I roto i tētahi koti i tangohia e Ia i A James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
– Me te reo i puta mai i a koe me au
Oh, and while the king was looking down
– A, i te mea e titiro iho ana te kingi
The jester stole his thorny crown
– I tahaetia e te kaitiaki tana karauna tataramoa
The courtroom was adjourned
– I whakatārewatia te rūma whakawa
No verdict was returned
– Kāore he whakatau i whakahokia mai
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
– I a Lenin e pānui ana i tētahi pukapuka Mō Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
– I mahi te roopu wha i te papa
And we sang dirges in the dark
– A ka waiata mātou i ngā waiata tangi i te pōuri
The day the music died
– Te rā i mate ai te waiata
We were singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– I waiata mātou, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa, engari he maroke te taiepa
Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– Ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
And singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
– Ka waiata, ” Ko te rā tēnei ka mate ahau
This’ll be the day that I die”
– Koinei te ra ka mate ahau”
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
– Helter skelter i roto i te raumati swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
– I rere atu nga manu me te rerenga rerenga
Eight miles high and fallin’ fast
– E waru maero te teitei, e tere ana te hinga
It landed foul on the grass
– I tau te kino ki runga i te tarutaru
The players tried for a forward pass
– I whakamātau ngā kaitākaro ki te tuku i tētahi tuku whakamua
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
– Me te kaitiaki i te taha o te taha i roto i te kaitoi
Now, the halftime air was sweet perfume
– Na, ko te hau haurua he kakara reka
While sergeants played a marching tune
– I te wā e whakatangihia ana e ngā hātepe he waiata haere
We all got up to dance
– I whakatika katoa mātou ki te kanikani
Oh, but we never got the chance
– Aue, engari kaore matou i whai waahi
‘Cause the players tried to take the field
– ‘Na te mea i ngana nga kaitākaro ki te tango i te mara
The marching band refused to yield
– I kore te kapa haka e whakaae ki te tuku
Do you recall what was revealed
– E mahara ana koe ki te mea i whakakitea
The day the music died?
– Te rā i mate ai te waiata?
We started singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– I tīmata mātou ki te waiata, kia ora, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa, engari he maroke te taiepa
Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– Ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
And singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
– Ka waiata, ” Ko te rā tēnei ka mate ahau
This’ll be the day that I die”
– Koinei te ra ka mate ahau”
Oh, and there we were all in one place
– Aue, a i reira i tatou katoa i roto i te wahi kotahi
A generation lost in space
– He whakatupuranga i ngaro i te mokowā
With no time left to start again
– Kāore he wā e toe ana ki te tīmata anō
So, come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
– Na, haere mai, Jack kia nimble, Jack Kia tere
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
– I noho a Jack Flash ki runga i te rama
‘Cause fire is the Devil’s only friend
– ‘No te mea ko te ahi anake te hoa o te Rewera
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
– A, i taku mātakitaki i a ia i runga i te atamira
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
– I mau oku ringa ki roto i nga ringa o te riri
No angel born in Hell
– Kāore he anahera i whanau i te Reinga
Could break that Satan spell
– Ka taea te whakakore i taua Kupu a Hatana
And as the flames climbed high into the night
– A i te piki o te mura ki runga ki te po
To light the sacrificial rite
– Hei whakamarama i te tikanga patunga tapu
I saw Satan laughing with delight
– I kite Ahau I A Hatana e kata ana me te koa
The day the music died
– Te rā i mate ai te waiata
He was singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– I waiata ia, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa, engari he maroke te taiepa
Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– Ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
And singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
– Ka waiata, ” Ko te rā tēnei ka mate ahau
This’ll be the day that I die”
– Koinei te ra ka mate ahau”
I met a girl who sang the blues
– I tutaki ahau ki tētahi kotiro i waiata i te blues
And I asked her for some happy news
– Na ka ui ahau ki a ia mo etahi rongo hari
But she just smiled and turned away
– Engari ka ataata noa ia ka tahuri atu
I went down to the sacred store
– I haere ahau ki raro ki te toa tapu
Where I’d heard the music years before
– I rongo ahau i te waiata i nga tau i mua
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play
– Engari i mea te tangata i reira e kore te waiata e whakatangi
And in the streets, the children screamed
– A, i nga huarahi, ka hamama nga tamariki
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
– I tangi nga hoa aroha a ka moemoea nga kaitito
But not a word was spoken
– Otiia kihai i korerotia he kupu
The church bells all were broken
– I pakaru katoa nga pere o te hahi
And the three men I admire most
– A ko nga tangata tokotoru e tino miharo ana ahau
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
– Ko Te Matua, Ko Te Tama, ko te Wairua Tapu
They caught the last train for the coast
– I hopu rātau i te tereina whakamutunga ki te takutai
The day the music died
– Te rā i mate ai te waiata
And there I stood alone and afraid
– A i reira ka tu ahau anake ka mataku
I dropped to my knees and there I prayed
– I hinga ahau ki runga ki oku turi a i reira ka inoi ahau
And I promised Him everything I could give
– Na ka oati ahau ki a ia nga mea katoa e taea e ahau te hoatu
If only He would make the music live
– Mehemea ka ora te waiata
And He promised it would live once more
– A ka oati ia ka ora anō
But this time one would equal four
– Engari i tēnei wā ka rite te kotahi ki te whā
And in five years four had come to mourn
– A i roto i te rima tau e wha i haere mai ki te tangi
And the music was reborn
– Na ka whanau anō te waiata
And they were singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– A, e waiata ana rātou, e mihi ana, E Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa engari he maroke te taiepa
And them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– A ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die
– Ka waiata, ” Ko te rā tēnei ka mate ahau
This’ll be the day that I die”
– Koinei te ra ka mate ahau”
They were singin’, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
– E waiata ana rātou, e mihi ana, E Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
– I peia taku Chevy ki te taiepa engari he maroke te taiepa
Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
– Ko ratou pai ol ‘tama i inu’ whiskey me te rai
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die”
– Waiata’, ” Ka waiho Tenei te ra e mate ahau”
