Don Mclean - C/D

BIG FUCKING DUD.

no, i cannot accept this. how the hell can "Vincent" be a dud?

Figured the thread revive would be because of this: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/don-mcleans-original-american-pie-lyrics-headed-to-auction-20150212.

But anyway, another excuse to repost this classic: http://wfmu.org/LCD/andy/americanpie.html

He wasn't just bitter. He was nuts. I mean certifiable. For example, he had a lame movie idea. He wanted to play a singing cowboy, like a modern day Roy Rogers. And he would fight crime.

Then he remembered something. He had recently done the music for a movie called "Fraternity Row." While he was on the set, he had met John Ritter and mentioned his 'singing cowboy' idea. McLean became obsessed: what if Ritter stole the idea?

For two days, it was all he talked about. John Ritter stealing his stupid idea. Should he have a lawyer write Ritter a threatening letter? Is there a way to backdate a copyright? It was spooky.

Interesting, but it makes sense to separate one's art from one's personality... Otherwise we'd be talking about Tom Petty and Hootie a lot more than we'd be talking about the Velvet Underground and Bowie.

http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/D97D/production/_88177655_mclean_ap.jpg

If only his Van Gogh song were certifiable..

American Pie is a terrible piece of songwriting. Trite, ham-handed and way too long. It sucked in 72 and has not held up well since. The NRA can have it. They too have gone on way too long.

— Drive-By Truckers (@drivebytruckers) May 28, 2022

Adamantly beg to differ (about the song).

I still like this song although the thing I really love about it is the piano.

Taste is taste, and the song's not for everyone. "A terrible piece of songwriting" is ridiculous.

I have to agree with DBT, it's a maudlin and pretentious song, but McLean's performance on the record is just enough to get it over - I don't think he's a great performer, but he deserves props for singing that one with real conviction.

Also it can be an entertaining novelty for someone who's pretty green about rock n' roll. That was me in grade school when I was at a friend's relative's home and it was packed full of high school band students - the song came on and it seemed like everyone knew every word of what felt like an ancient song. Didn't understand a single reference, or how everyone came to know it as I hadn't discovered oldies or classic rock radio, and the fact that it was so verbose made it all the more bewildering. The experience was comparable to the first time I saw fans of Rocky Horror watching it on DVD and responding to every other line - it was like stumbling on to a secret cult.

FIRE IS THE DEVIL'S ONLY FRIEND

This song was kinda the "We Didn't Start The Fire" of its day, huh? Boomer mythology, but more poetic than BJ.

More like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1uwIzI3SE

I have questions about Don McLean's hair

https://i.imgur.com/3ddChZo.jpg

Drove my Chevy to the toupee but the toupee was mine.

https://i.imgur.com/FAU0szC.png

The lovers cried and the poets dreamed.

A long long time ago
I can still remember
When I had hair

His songs suck

And on that starry starry night
when no hair was left in sight

February made him shiver
He donned a rug and still he quivered
But not a word was spoken
We figured he was joking

I can't remember my dismay
When I saw the pix of his toupee
But something made me turn away
At such
A sad
Display

Damn--I worked hard to make mine scan correctly, but yours is better.

While the singer's hair looked like a mop
The marching band refused to stop
Our aesthetic standards seemed to drop
The day
the music
died

And on that starry starry night
when no hair was left in sight

You wore a wig as bald men often do
But could have told you, Donald
This wig was never meant for one
As cueball-like as you