...a 'levee' please for those of us who are not...

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Question by theredqueen
Submitted on 1/18/2004
Related FAQ: FAQ: The Annotated "American Pie"
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What is a 'levee' please for those of us who are not American?

Answer by ContagisBlondnes
Submitted on 1/23/2004
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A 'levee' is another name for a party, really. It is a party that most anyone can attend, so the guests are rather miscellaneous - at a 'levee,' you can see lots of different sorts of people. Also, in the same lyric, it says that the 'levee was dry.' I don't know if this is known outside of the United States, but that is talking about alcohol consumption. When something is 'dry,' it means that there isn't any alcohol there, such as a 'dry party,' a 'dry campus,' a 'dry ground,' or a 'dry gathering.' Now, McLean could mean quite a lot of things by that lyric, but that would be the literal translation.

Answer by Sizzler
Submitted on 2/3/2004
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It is also an embankment or "dam" if you will built to control flooding on rivers. This would be a place of congregation for such parties (i.e. hanging out by the river and drinking with friends).

Answer by ME
Submitted on 2/23/2004
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I've never heard it called a party. I've always known it has a waterway in which water is released (ie. dam) There are alot of them in LA. When the levees are dry you can drive in them and then of course, have parties. (good example: Grease at the end with the car race)(sorry only movie off the top of my head I could think of)

Answer by pavilion
Submitted on 8/31/2005
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what is a levee is it the same thing as a dam ?

Answer by Moonie
Submitted on 11/25/2005
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Also, "levee" has been used in reference to Senior Prom. I always thought this line meant that no one had "spiked" (i.e. put alcohol in) the punch bowl at the prom. This would fit with the "dancing in the gym" and such.

Answer by Angara
Submitted on 1/13/2006
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Just when I thought I knew what I knew a Levee was and now I found out it is close second cousin to the word F__K.

Answer by Jinky Williams
Submitted on 7/7/2006
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Good reference, ME. I think that fits the bill perfectly. I think it's an amalgamation of the two suggestions (the party and the waterway), as the geographical levees were only fun if they were dry, and McLean says, "but the levee was dry", which would suggest an outcome contrary to expectation (of the levee being not dry). In this light, the "party" view would make more sense (in my mind, at least). However, I cannot vouch for or against "levee" being common vernacular for said event-type during the time in which the events referenced in the song took place.

Answer by sam
Submitted on 11/22/2006
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while a levee can be a dam the song is actually referring to a bar in New Rochelle, NY where McLean attended high school (Iona Prep) and college (Iona college) "the levee" was the name of a bar that was and is still frequented by the college crowd; however it has since change names to the beechmont and when he says the levee was dry he is referring to when it closed down dry meaning no alcohol...when the levee closed him and his friends would travel to Rye,NY a few towns over to drink and that is where the line "whiskey and rye" originates from...if your from Westchester, NY especially New Rochelle you know this is what he means!!!

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