troubled. The Vietnam War was out of control and the anti-war movement was gathering
momentum.
Other events of the time, such as the successful launch of Apollo 14, did little to restore the
national pride. “American Pie,” in the opinion of the song’s producer, Ed Freeman, was the
funeral oration for an era: “Without it, many of us would have been unable to grieve, achieve
closure, and move on. Don saw that, and wrote the song that set us free. We should all be
eternally grateful to him for that.”
“American Pie” received its first airplay in the summer of 1971 on Pete Fornatel’s show on
WNEW-FM in New York; it was played to mark the closing of the Fillmore East, a famous
rock music venue. This was a live acoustic version, not the forthcoming hit record, but
nevertheless it received an immediate and intense audience reaction. A few months later, in
October, the first “American Pie” LP was delivered to WNEW-FM. Pete Fornatel played the
whole record non-stop. “American Pie” reached No. 1 or No. 2 in every country in the
world. In Britain, the album remained a chart topper for 54 weeks, stretching from 1972 to
1974.
For many the release of “American Pie” transformed Don McLean into a prophet and a
superstar. “Time,” “Life,” and “Newsweek” all ran major stories on McLean and his
remarkable song. During January and February of 1972, “American Pie” was the most
played song on the radio. Twelve months later, it was still going strong. The song had
touched a nerve, yet no one was sure what it was about. Was it about Kennedy or Buddy
Holly? Was it a biblical prophecy, or an ecological protest song? “Life” magazine called the
lyrics “a melodic and melancholy summing up of the recent history of pop music.”
Thirty years later, “American Pie” was voted number five in a poll of the 365 “Songs of the
Century” compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the
National Endowment for the Arts.
The top five were:
“Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland
“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
“This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin
“American Pie” by Don McLean
Today, Don McLean says that writing “American Pie” was about his life, what he lived
through and what he experienced as a participant and witness to American music and politics.
His intention was never to be evasive, or to create some sort of guessing game. “American
Pie,” for Don, is not just a roman a clef, it is an American dream; it is an allegory.
Nearly 50 years on, Don McLean continues to write and sing what he wants, and in the
process he has transcended all the usual categories in popular music making. He has done
what few writer-performers ever are able to do: he has become an authentic original. Don
McLean is a national treasure, one of the most singular and durable of all our popular
vocalists and writers.