"The Day the Music Died"

I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance,
That I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

I know, that McLean wrote this song in remembrance of the three great Rock and Roll artists. These three rock and roll artists lost their lives in a plane crash. They were: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Bid Bopper. They were flying from a show they just performed; they were flying to another one. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Big Bopper introduced Rock and Roll to the world. Now, this song is in remembrance of these three great artists. But what exactly do the lyrics mean? Well, I have chosen to decode the first or second verse of the song to the best of my ability.

Here they are:

Words in Blue: McLean is saying how he can recapture the music that those great artists played; and how it made him smile.
Words in Red: McLean is saying that because of the “Day the Music Died”, people were upset and deeply saddened by the news of the plane crash. There was no music to make those people dance again. But, if McLean were able to bring the music back into the people’s lives, then they would be able to dance and be happy again.