![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
"As you can imagine, over the years I have been asked many times to discuss and explain my song 'American Pie.' I have never discussed the lyrics, but have admitted to the Holly reference in the opening stanzas. I dedicated the album American Pie to Buddy Holly as well in order to connect the entire statement to Holly in hopes of bringing about an interest in him, which subsequently did occur.
"This brings me to my point. Casey Kasem never spoke to me and none of the references he confirms my making were made by me. You will find many 'interpretations' of my lyrics but none of them by me. Isn't this fun?
"Sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence."
-- Don McLean (b. 1945-10-02), writing to Cecil Adams of The Straight Dope May 1993
["American Pie" was released fifty years ago, in 1971. The 'calendar' program says it was released 16 December but Wikipedia says it was in October, so I'm not sure where the December date comes from. Note that contrary to his 1993 message, McLean did reveal more about the song's meaning in 2015]
(no subject)
(no subject)
in highschool ca. 1989 a friend of mine whose dad had worked in 'the biz' had this huge theory on all the code names and references in the song and swore up down & sideways his dad was one of them (and they had a rather strained relationship, it wasn't hero worship lol)...that song had such a weird grip on so many people back then. We knew the obvious ones; Holly, Havens, the Big Bopper, Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Joplin, the Byrds. Trying to think of another track that carried that level of social cache and coming up blank, but the caffeine hasn't percolated into my brain yet either, so maybe it'll pop up later.
(no subject)
I think one of the enduring appeals of American Pie is that there is so much open to interpretation. Instead of spending his time explaining it, and thus removing some of the mystery and magic, it remains alive in our minds. Sometimes silence speaks louder.
(no subject)
(no subject)
The Wikipedia article (thanks!) says it was released on an album in October and as a single in December, so that's probably where the date confusion comes from.
I like the part they mention where he was asked what the song means and he said "it means I never have to work again". I wonder if he had any idea at the time. :-)