The CLASSIC Song That MAKES Adults CRY Like BABIES! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2024
- Coming up… an interview with the singer and songwriter Don McLean… an all-time legend on the story behind the most storied rock and roll song ever, American Pie. Its lyrics have fostered debate and conjecture for over 50 years, with a chorus that everyone knows by heart and never gets tired of. American Pie is probably the song that will live on the longest because of its message. It was the longest song ever to hit #1… So long it took up two sides of a single... with a last verse and chorus that make even the toughest men and women cry like babies… the story straight from this legend is next on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #americanpie
Hey Music Junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and songs of all time; if you remember your mom reading the Dear Abby column in your local newspaper You’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia Make sure to subscribe below and make sure to hit the bell so you always get our daily features. Also, check out more content on our page on Patreon to become an insider.
Do you believe in Rock and roll, and do you believe that music can save your mortal soul? I do. There was a time when rock and roll was pure and innocent and it went by the name of Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Bill Hayley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Ritchie Valens These legends churned out feel-good records that truly matched the mood of the nation. You see the 50’s were an era of happiness and commonality. America had just won the war and set the world free from Natzi tyranny. Young Americans were searching for their identity and discovered it in the music coming out of the car radio’s and drive inns. They called this music Rock and roll. Buddy Holly stood out amongst the legends because well, he looked like you and me. Just a smalltown kid, horn rimmed glasses, from Lubock texas who set the world on fire with his music and unlike most…
He actually wrote it. Then just like that, he was taken from us. February 3 1959 the day the music died. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash. the next four years our nation would lose it’s innocence. That same year Don Mclean was 13 years old. He would see Holly’s death as the beginning of a chain of events that would challenge the hope and purity of a lost era. From that he would write a song that would capture the imagination of the nation like very few in history.
For McLean, the transition from the simple innocence of childhood to the dismal realities of adulthood began with the deaths of his father and Buddy Holly and conclude with the murder of President Kennedy in 1963, which was the start of a more difficult time for America from the Civil rights movement to Vietnam to the deaths of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. At over 8 minutes long, American Pie was the longest song ever to hit no. 1 on the charts At first the label released it in two parts, but DJ’s began playing it in full, because of it’s story. The song is a saga of a dozen years in rock and roll and american society.
Thought Mclean has never fully admitted to the meaning behind the lyrics, the song takes us from his wonder years of the 50s through the whirlwind cultural changes of the 60s and the battle to not let the despair conquer...
Poll: What is your pick for the SONG with THE GREATEST LYRICS from the rock era?
Vincent
Achy Breaky Song by Weird Al
Fire Woman. The Cult
The Police - King Of Pain
In My Life, John Lennon
Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. It charted on the Billboard charts. Hope it counts.
I'm 78 and I thank God I grew up during the very best time in America. We grew up with the best music, best cars, best dances, best education, best TV shows, best morals, safest era. The best of everything.
The 80s kids got most of this too but this was the last line
Totally AGREE❤
We had the Best generation
Well I don't know about all that but it sure was a hell of a lot of fun.
True
In 1988 I had the first date with my now wife. We went to a dance bar in downtown Indianapolis and spent the evening dancing to the songs of the day. Towards the end of the night, the DJ played American Pie. We were arm in arm, both knowing and singing every word to this song. We both knew at that moment we were perfect for each other. Thirty six years later when we hear the song on the radio, we hold hands and sing along, just like we did that July night. This song will always have a special place in my heart!
I am 78, and from Indianapolis too! Love your story! In my case my hubby happened to be dating my girlfriend. He was from Rushville, and my friend asked me if I would like to meet the guy she intended to marry. I met him, and we celebrate 59 yrs of marriage this October! In all fairness I met him after he broke up with her! I feel a bit bad she was heartbroken but not bad enough to give him back! 😂. She did meet someone a few years later and so she ended up happy too! May you have many more years of happiness! ❤
I still remember every word of American Pie to this day, which is my 69th birthday. My generation had the best music of all time.
I still remember the lyrics as well. I'll be 64 soon.
Yes, best music. Worst poly-ticks. But we were all being used by Dulles et al, so forgiveness for some, but the rope for those who stole the national bridle, in Dealey Plaza, 61 years ago
Happy Birthday for yesterday! I'm 64 and also know all the words! Also, I made a point to teach my son (16) the significance of this song and its place as the best 'pop' song of the 20th century! I think (mostly) the whole of the 20th century was the best time for music. I'm so sad for the kid of the 21st century. They really don't know what's missing in their lives.
We share birthdays! Hope yours was good.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎊
Im 76 the best part of this age is experiencing the great music of the 60s and 70s❤❤❤❤
50', early 60's rock, teen angst. Forget the hippie dippie therapy stuff, including this.
I was born in 1956. The 25yrs between 1955 and 1980 was truly the golden age of rock n roll. The greatest music ever written, performed, and recorded!!
I am 82 and remember when a person could understand the words and there were no swear words. Roy Orbison was great and Pretty Woman was what my husband called me. Great memories. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
@@sandaraspooner4338I am with you, I am 84.
Bestist music AND Cars... Lovely lines, mixing curves and straight lines, today, the music has one beat, and the cars of 5 different makes HAVE TO BE OF ONE DESIGN, where Volvo says to KIA- We get the better front end. THERE IS NO LOYALTY, because all is the same.... 10,000 wattssblasting in a $100k Truck, it's "catalytics cut off, shaking the vehicle to I pledge has NO, ZERO, Melody...YET THERE ARE A thousand others in TOWN!! what is the next step of boredom. I drive an 07 Shelby GT- lots of Compliments- My dog is a "singing coon hound which EVERY single woman wants to go on a date with.. Whenever I am complimated on Dog, (TOM) or car- I always answer- GO GET ONE!!! Why do they consign their lives to a poodle woodle, and a Hyuandi Hatch back- Why is their fear to enjoy true beauty?? They are the "risk-less" , I thrive on buying what "I think is beautiful" and DO NOT CARE, if my neighbor hates my picks... Maybe this is why we vote the same BORING, always, ALWAYS votes with their majority over THE ISSUE!! THINK OF Buddy ... ...HOLLY glasses- an enigma
A sad memory of this song. My mother has Alzheimer's and dementia. When she first began declining, we were encouraged to gently encourage memories.
One day, I began to talk about "Bye, Bye . . ." (for reference, I was born in 1965, so I knew these events occurred during Mom's prime.) Sadly, Mom didn't recall most of the history referenced in the song. That day, I said "Bye"to the brilliant woman I knew. That was a few years ago. Sadly, Mom is now declining rapidly; I will miss her so much, but I'm relieved her pain will be over and she'll be at peace.
i am so sorry to hear about your mother's illness. keep singing the song to her. play the music, too. she'll hear it and feel it.
@glenngebhard1575 thank you. Unfortunately, I live across country from her, and she can no longer track conversation on the phone. 😕
THERE IS ANOTHER LEVEL.
It’s the worst thing to see your beautiful mom go down.
I resonate to your story. It's 24 years since my Mom finally succumbed to Alzheimer's. She was the most beautiful, intelligent, loving and funny woman I have ever known. Watching her disappear was the hardest thing I ever experienced. I still miss her so.
I was in high school when "American Pie" was on the radio. I had a teacher that thought so much of Don McLeans "opus" that we were given an assignment to dissect and examine what the song was about.
Those were the days, now gone forever.
Good to see Don is still around- we are are getting older and our days are numbered.
What a wonderful teacher!
I had Mr. Mitchell, my favorite history teacher in high school. While we were studying the Wall Street crash of 1929, the "Robber Barons", and the Great Depression, Mr. Mitchell brought his guitar to class and taught us Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger songs.
When he taught about Vietnam, he brought us the songs of Bob Dylan.
I still remember what I learned in his class because he was such a great teacher!
@@LazyIRanch That sounds like a GREAT teacher, too..I guess we were lucky to have involved and caring teachers. Things are so different now.
Take care "out there" !
Great assignment idea!
@@LazyIRanch It sounds like you had a great teacher. I don't know why I remember the weird ones. We had a substitute teacher that brought in his dental X-Rays for us to see. The perfect subject for Government class. All of us wondered if the school board was so desperate for a substitute that they just grabbed the first guy that was walking by on the street.
My English teacher did the same thing. And the whole class sang it to start off the class. What a wonderful time to be in high school.
Don McLean is still alive? Holy crap! He’s a rock legend. His work is true art. Life is better for his songs.
Yeah, check out his girlfriend!
🤣
He lives in Maine with his family .
But crap is not Holy sorry bro .
I watched him on Opry on tv tonight. July 13, 2024.
He came to our town. This was the final song he sang. Everyone stood up and sang with him. It was so moving. Never forget it. Vincent Van Gogh is my favorite painter. That song always makes me cry. Don McLean is a legend. He is correct. Our generation lived thru so much.
It's a powerful song ,no doubt ,but for me Vincent ,is the real tear jerker
I love American Pie too, but it doesn't make me cry like Tell Laura I Love Her does.
I agree. I adore that song. I love Van Gogh and his art. What a great song about an innocent, tragic person who loved life, art, and died from an illness no one understood at the time. And this song captured everything.
Absolutely- without a doubt one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful songs there ever was - period. 🥺
You nailed it, 'Vincent' is the real tear jerker.
@ noel...I agree
One of the greatest songs of all time. No arguments.
"American Pie" is an all-time classic-Still packs a punch 50+ years later.
When getting home and you can’t turn the car off until American Pie is finished. To the last note!!
Very true! But, it NEVER made me cry. There were too many other things to cry about. Like my mother moving out, and leaving me to be hit by my brother and dad. Me becoming the family maid at the age of 12. Me getting kicked out of my home at 17 because my brother would hit me for paying my alcoholic father rent, which he used to buy liquor.
Have always loved this song!
@@cherylmcnutt9905
I'm sorry that happened to you. Your mother committed the worse act by leaving you with that monster.
Definitely! Everyone has to be quiet unless they are singing it and yes through to the end.😊
Glad I'm not the only one who does this!! 😂😂
My youngest daughter had a boyfriend and they were going to be married once my duaghter turned 18. Her boyfriend turned 18 first. They both were from single parent homes. Her boyfriend's Dad took him out to celebrate his 18th Birthday. That night Justin (her boyfriend) died in his sleep. At his funeral they played American Pie because it was Justin's favorite song. When they played the song, the chapel was very quiet until Don McLean started to sing the whole chapel started singing the song with him. After the funeral, Justin's dad told me, "they were suppose to play American pie as everyone was leaving, but I think it was awesome the way it was done.I couldn't believe everyone started to sing."
Wow now that's powerful.
@@BROU-bb2uc I know, right. Justin died in 2008, that was like 3 generations singing American Pie.
I'm so sorry for your daughter's devastating loss. That song has an entirely different meaning for her now.
I introduced my 90s hippie niece to this song, she loved it then decided to listen to more Don McLean, she called me crying and yelling, Aunt Carla, why didn’t you warn me about Vincent?! She said it was the saddest song she had ever heard but she couldn’t stop listening to it but it made her understand why I loved Van Gogh so much. Adam, thanks so much for this, I was 13 when it came out, you could hear kids singing it all day from different parts of the school.
That's awesome!! Well done! Can I suggest, ask her if she's seen the best episode of Dr Who (ever) which is about Vincent. In it, The Doctor helps Vincent to know that in the future his work will be loved across the planet and considered perhaps the greatest art. I'm 64 and I cry every time I watch it. I also went to the Vincent exhibition (in Perth Australia) and which I think toured the world! I hope your niece got to see it too!
"Vincent" exposed me to Van Gogh as well. My father was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia also. To this day, "The Starry Night" is still my favorite painting. Paranoid schizophrenia is the worst disease in the world. "Vincent" describes the emotional pain schizophrenia suffer from. The most heart- wrenching lyrics of the song are: "Now I understand what you tried to say to me and how you suffered for your sanity and how you tried to set them free." This first part is like it was tailor-made for what I wanted to say to my father, but didn't know how. The second set of lyrics is what sums it all up, & always makes me bawl like a baby: "And when no hope was left inside on that starry starry night, you took your life as lovers often do. Bit I could've told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you." I have Borderline Personality Disorder: fear of abandonment whether real or imagined. Often, one or both parents have a crippling mental illness.
"Vincent" touched a nerve with & helped me come to grips with my daddy's illness as well as my own. Thank you, Don McClean, from the bottom of my grateful heart.
@@sylviaross5722 my favorite lyrics are, “they did not listen, they’re not listening still, perhaps they never will.”
@@sylviaross5722 Starry Night is also my favorite painting, I once bought a coffee table book of his paintings, I loved that book, he was an amazing artist, too bad he lived in the time he did, I wonder if things would have been different today.
@@stevezodiac575 I will, thanks.
My wife and I saw Don perform live last year. The experience of everyone on their feet singing every word of American Pie was magical and one I'll never forget.
This is what is missing in the music business now. The art of writing stories along with the melody and musicianship and the creative aspect. It was about taking you on a journey. I sure miss that.
Daniel by Elton John, Hotel California by the Eagles, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin all come to mind.
One ballad that I can't hear enough....... Brandy by Looking Glass
I was driving alone with my dad and he knew EVERY WORD of American Pie. He said there was a time as an early teen he would listen to that record all day and wear it out. Fantastic piece of songwriting.
So cool!
@@ProfessorofRock Thanks!
People: “What does American Pie mean?” DM: “It means that I never need to work again if don’t want to.”
My third grade teacher introduced me to this song and she knew all the lyrics.
It did help having very few radio stations back in the day too, but still, fabulous song💕🌷👍🏻Jeremiah was a bullfrog could play and people would start singing along with it😆😂Great days💝
In 1971 my older brother’s sixth grade teacher made my brother’s class memorize the lyrics to the song. So our mother dutifully bought the record and my brother played the song on our portable combination turntable-speakers over and over again until he had it down. I was in first grade and we shared a bedroom. So guess who else ended up memorizing the lyrics. Me: “Mommy, what’s whiskey and rye”? Mom: “Be quiet and go to bed.”
One of my favorite memories is sitting on a dock, surrounded by family and college kids, watching the July 4th fireworks, and all of us singing, “American Pie”, with just a guitar, and all of us singing it from memory.
What a moment that must have been.
My dad loved the song and we'd sing it together. Decades later, I got a call at work that my dad had fallen and I needed to go to the hospital asap. So I hopped in my car, and as soon as I turned the key, American Pie was starting. I tried to sing along to get my mind off of what could be happening, but it didn't work. It was a long enough drive that when I pulled into the spot in the parking lot, the song was just ending: "this'll be the day that I die" as the last chord died away, I got out of the car and ran into the ER. They steered me to another room, and I was met by my sobbing mother and the person whose job it was to tell people that their family member is no longer alive. It's been 22 years, and it's still the biggest shock in my life. But I can finally hear the song without crying anymore ❤
Kudos to you Adam for being a great interviewer and letting Mr. Mclean tell us his thought process of this great American song. American Pie is ageless.
It makes my eyes misty listening to American Pie, I think it's because I lived through this time and experienced the highs and lows of the time.
Thanks for sharing!
This has got to be by far your best segment.
Bravo 👏👏👏👏 Adam.
Sry I haven't been around lately my health has not been great.
@@hughwright1860 I hope you feel better.
Went to a Don McLean concert probably in the early 80’s. Long after AP’s release and a little reduced radio play. My brother in law called and found out the concert was that evening. I was in and he bought the tickets by phone. Of course, no internet. Got front row tickets the day of the concert! I really think it was lack of promotion in our small town but only a hundred or so attended at a fairly large venue. He said he was disappointed, put promised a great time, and boy did he deliver! His enthusiasm and performance was awesome and although a small audience, it sounded like a packed house. One of the best concerts I’ve ever experienced! Thanks Professor for everything you do! Please do the full analysis please!
I saw Don twice in the 70s in small venues and, to your point, he wasn't just a great song writer; he was a great performer and entertainer.
What your mother used to say about what's in your heart comes out of your mouth unedited, is the reason why you are such a great artist, Mr. McLean. And I just want to thank you for that. Heart is what music is all about. Your music has filled my heart many times.
What is in your heart comes out your mouth. Sounds like Jung's Shadow Personality. McLean's Italian grandmother is very wise.
Yes please do a breakdown of the lyrics. This such a beautiful song and I think everyone should understand the meaning of the lyrics.
Pretty sure we just all heard the writer himself say he wants listeners to interpret for themselves.
Isn't the movie already a lyrical tour with Don? I won't complain but it seems redundant, unless you just feel like including it in your own canon for the sake of completeness.
I'd love to hear the Professor's take on the lyrics. I've heard many theories and I have some theories of my own, but I never tire of hearing everyone's prospective (whether it's true or just personal)!
The lyrics of Vincent are absolutely gorgeous. Try listening to Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman sing Vincent. Wow!!
It's available, just search for it
I don’t know if Adam has done a segment on this., butt Don was the inspiration for Killing Me Softly. Well worth a PoR episode.
I love that story, too!
I was there when that song first came out (five years old), and my babysitter loved that song so much.
At the time, I didn't really know what it was about, only that I liked it because the woman with the pretty voice (Roberta Flack) sang it.
I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing!
What a fantastic suggestion for a PoR episode!!
The title and your closing remarks are exactly right. They don't make a masterpiece like this nowadays.
Amen! Thanks for watching!
They do, but you won't hear them in the mass media.
Indeed!
I completely agree! Modern music SUCKS! I prefer the old stuff over the modern crap today.
Tell that to Taylor Swift! lol
I’m 82, and couldn’t agree more with what is said in American Pie.
I am 71 and fighting cancer for the 3rd time. This music uplift’s my soul.
The lyrical poetry in that song is unequalled. And Vincent wasn't shabby, either. 👍👍
I have to agree! Wonderful
Vincent is such a beautiful song, it made me cry. I'm an artist, not a good one, but I love art and artists, and Van Gogh is one of the best, ever, but had such a sad life.
Vincent is my favorite, even over this classic
Vincent❤
Love Vincent. One of my personal favorites.
Despite your feelings of this song, you can’t deny it’s originality and it’s brilliance. It’s a song everyone knows and as an artist, when you’ve done that you’ve hit a home run. Great episode. 😊
Thanks for watching!
During the late 60’s the Smothers Brothers Comedy hour hosted popular singers/performers as musical guests. Don Maclean was one of them and I was anxious to watch the episode. It was one of the few times I had seen him perform the song as it was too long for most tv shows at the time.
Nah, song is way overrated
Don Maclean was wearing rose colored glasses during the entire interview. I see it as a symbol of hope. He is full of hope. ❤
I want to disagree with Maclean that Seeger's song 'Little Boxes' was both a Communist song AND a rich man's song. They are mutually exclusive, imho.
@@LQOTW The richest men are behind communism. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.
@@LQOTW Nope. Under Communism you always have the rich running the show and working overtime to make certain they stay that way while nobody else gets a chance. The rich stay in control of everyone else - the equally poor. There is no middle class.
With respect, they are not mutually exclusive. Many of the biggest proponents of communism are rich people that have "made it" and then act like it's the answer for everyone else who hasn't made it. But it's a lie.
Seeger is a Bernie Sanders communist, rich with his own money made on the taxes of the middle class. Seeger made money from his music that was consumed by the middle class has disdain for.
I remember the first time I heard it, and I was alone at home that day, just me and the radio. And more than 50 years latter, I still feel as though it’s the greatest song written by someone who knew my heart.
I suppose everyone does.
Thank you Don .
It’s truly the Anthem of my generation.
My wife and I saw him in concert years ago. Starry Starry Night and American Pie live was sheer musical bliss.
Starry Starry Night is "Vincent"
"The moment we're in right now......God help us." My favorite quote from you.
There is another person who recently just said God help us.
I mean, if you pay attention to the song and you understand the various references it's easy to see that the song is about the loss of America's innocence using the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valenz and The Big Bopper (let's not forget the two great artists that perished with him) as a catalyst. The great part is that this isn't the only way you can interpret it. Great interview, Prof. I've always loved Don McLean.
Thanks for watching!
This song rings even more true today.
How could a nation built, in large part anyway, on genocide and slavery have 'innocence"?
@@doktormcnastyjust about every nation is built on conquest and slavery. Your point?
@@doktormcnastybecause we whitewashed our true history and are still doing that today. We told ourselves a lie (that we are a great country full of independent people) so often we believed it.
“ this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you “ 😢
I’m 73 and sitting here with tears in my eyes.
Definitely one of the greatest songs ever written. Don McLean has many others as well. Thank you, Don, for all the great music you have given us.
Gives me chills every time 🥹 My hope for America will never die, because of the American people. I would love a lyrical breakdown.
Taylor’s longest number one will quickly be forgotten! American Pie will never be forgotten….
I honestly don't even know it. I don't know it exists😂🤣😂😂🤣😂😂🤣
Taylor stinks
@@StarDreamMemories
No, she doesn't. Just because one thing is great doesn't automatically mean another thing is trash. Grow up.
Taylor has written some really good songs. You don't have to hate one to love the other. Being mad at someone's art is a weird flex.
@@bowtoyoursensei554 dahling, you like your bubble gum girly doll and I'll remember mine from the 80's.
It's only my opinion, don't let me bother you.
If you like it listen and sing along. I know not everyone enjoys my favorites.
I have no idea what Taylor’s longest song is. I would have to Google it. But I would bet a billion dollars more people can recite the lyrics to American Pie than her song, whatever it is… probably about some breakups of hers. 😂 Her songs don’t speak to generational or American ideals. They are shallow digs at her emotional strife she has experienced. Totally different.
The older I get, the harder this song hits. Well done interview(letting him speak, too many interviewers interrupt), thanks
At 70, I recall, vividly singing along with my best friends as a young kid and heading down the road...!!
Absolutely love this channel. I’m a 60 yo man that is routinely brought to tears watching your video. Thank you so much for what you do. Your a national treasure!!
Don Mclean has not lost his edge! His voice is Golden! Great interview!
It still amazes me in my 63 yrs. on this earth, how songs like this are created. I so wish that I had been born with that gift. Music immortality.
Buddy Holly - one of the greats! And one of the great founding father of R & R! Being born in 1960 i lived through those times, and as a Texan( who regularly travels with my retired Marine husband to the wonderful VA hospital there) if you ever find yourself near or in Lubbock- PLEASE! Make a point to visit the amazing Buddy Holly Museum! Lubbock was his home town!
Yes! A monumental song and great tribute!
I saw the movie The Buddy Holly Story in the theater back then & loved it. Gary Busey did the singing. I bought the soundtrack & listened to that for years instead of the real thing! Ah youth! Supposedly the family gave him one of Buddy’s guitars.
Thanks for your husband's (Devil Dog) service. Retired Gator Sailor here...
That’s in the Panhandle right?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980. Lubbock isn't in the Panhandle. It's northwest of Ft Worth area, South of Amarillo
As one Marine to another, I Salute you for your service! Semper Fi- Leatherneck!
I drove my mother crazy singing this song. We are privileged to have Don McLean he’s a national treasure!
I turned two the day after the music died. At 67, I am still a rock and girl through and through.
The music of the 60’s and 70’s were a great time.
This was such a powerful song, along with Taxi by Harry Chapin as being the greatest story songs of this time! Thank you so much for this episode and interview with this exstrodarry artist!❤
Taxi is a very moving song, and I think anyone who has regrets about past loves can resonate with it. American Pie is a Boomer song, and good for them if it resonates with them, but there are a lot of us younger folks to whom Buddy Holly means nothing, but for whom Kurt Cobain and Neil Peart are sources of great loss.
I think we could add "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" to the Mount Rushmore of epic story songs from that era. :-)
Adam, you will need 3 or 4 videos to do this song justice. This is one of my all-time favorites. Thanks for this episode.
I agree!
I'd love to hear more about this song!! I saw him in concert a few years back, great show!
Do it Professor - Please !!
One of the most tragic days in music. I can't imagine the wonderful music we missed out on due to the early and meaningless deaths in rock. RIP to all the amazing true artists who we lost way way to soon!!
Amen.
Richie Valens still saddens me to this day and it happened well before I was born.
This song was so meaningful, and full of wisdom, much more than the young McClean had, but he created this anyway! So I guess he was wise beyond his years! Truly inspiring!!
This literally brought tears to my eyes. Thinking about how music used to be important, and how trivial and disposable it is today!
This was the first record I bought with my own money as a child, I still have that 45.
I didn't understand what the lyrics were about when I was 11 years old, but I loved the song's melody and McClean's wonderful voice.
I grew up in Texas, where Buddy Holly was _always_ a big deal. I picked up my free copy of "Buddy" magazine every month at record and music stores and read them gleefully. I no longer live in N. Dallas, but I'm happy to read that "Buddy" magazine still exists...
"Buddy is a free monthly music magazine serving the North Texas and Northeast Texas regions. It was first published in Austin, Texas, in October 1972 as a free bi-monthly. Stoney Burns and Rob Edleson were the founders. The magazine's name is a tribute to Buddy Holly, who Burns said "changed my life.""
American Pie is a masterpiece. Back in the day, I knew the song's meanings were so deep, that I needed to learn the words by heart, even though I haden't figured out all the meanings. It is truly a window into our nation. Way to go, Don. It's what every songwriter wishes to achieve, which is to tell a story that touches the listener's soul, and remains with them for life.
My wife and I visited the crash site this last spring. We saw Brian Wilson at The Surf Ball Room, in Clear Lake, in 2011 . The pay phone is still on the wall. "True Love Ways"
Oh my goodness! I haven’t finished watching the video yet, but I am so impressed that you got to interview Don McLean. Well done sir.
My youngest daughter and I used to sing this to the top of our lungs when she was 12-13.
Very cool! What's your favorite part of the song?
@@ProfessorofRock That’s impossible to answer. I said this yesterday about Solsbury Hill, but it’s true of this song too: it’s full of Spiritual Imagery.
To me this song is like an onion, the more you peel it back, the more you get.
This song is a masterpiece.
Oh and yes to a lyrical breakdown of this song.
"American Pie" is truly an epic song and very profound. Good to see Don McClean is still around.
Our sixth grade teacher played this album. A lot 😄. (He also taught us how to play hearts)
Being born in 1980 it is so strange to feel so much joy from the melody and sadness from the subject at the same time when i listen to American Pie. Living in the Netherlands i dont have the connection with all that the song mentions but it stil pulls my strings. Its truly a timeless classic. Wonderful interview and absolutely a true legend. Thank you professor
I just lost my Dad who was a couple weeks short of 80yrs old. He used to always say, "It ain't a song if u can't sing it in the shower." As a drummer, I don't completely agree of course, but my love for Don McLean started back when I was around 7 years old, my Dad used to have to make emergency trips late on Sunday nights for his business and I would tag along to keep him company. We listened to the oldies station exclusively, so I know all the classics by heart. American Pie was always a special one to come across. Some songs just seem to be written with a inexplicable Providence. The musician being a vessel; rather than the Creator of the art. It will never cease to amaze me someone could make such an incredible song.
veritas !!!
Lol I like that
So sorry for your loss. My Dad just turned 80, though after he had a major surprise stroke some years ago, we weren't sure that he'd even make it to 75. DM and AP were definitely among my parents' record album collection and remind me of my childhood. He is one of the great singer/songwriters of our time.☮️
@@laurat1129 That is bittersweet to hear, I hope your Dad lives much longer : ) Yeah it just happened in March, very strange to not have my Dad to call for advice. Still in shock.
But yes, as u know those classic songs from the 50's-60's still sound amazing and we are blessed to have been exposed to them. He would always tell me about cruisin + drive-ins + singing, just sounds like great times in the 60's. I love all that rockabilly stuff the most (Gene Vincent, Elvis, etc.) - it is literally impossible not to have a smile on your face listening to it.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Mr McLean play live on 3 occasions, over 30 years, the latest being about 5 years ago at a 3 day festival and on an earlier occasion in a relatively small auditorium of about 500 people. “Killing me softly” describes the experiences, perfectly. Later, after one of the shows, he was standing, by himself, in a crowded room, and I had the opportunity to speak with him for a few minutes. Mr McLean was very humble; very polite, and gave us (my wife and I, generously of his time.
This song is a song that I have taught to dozens of pre-schoolers and kindergartens .I love the young minds putting things in order.
You are THE MAN!
@@ProfessorofRock Man in Motion, on Fire, 🔥 in the Middle , on the Moon, 🌙 Overboard, or the Hour?
Keep doing it!
Very cool 😎
Yes a breakdown of each line would be educational and worth watching
It's available, just search for it
It was Taylor Swift "All Too Well" (from "Red" Taylor's Version) which ran 10:13 on November 27, 2021 (# 1 for only 1 week) that beat McLean's "American Pie" (which ran 8:42 on both A & B sides of the stereo 45 & 8:33 on the album version) for longest song to reach # 1 on Billboard Hot 100!! Also "November Rain" by Guns 'N Roses ran 8:57 BUT the song went to # 3 (2 weeks) on August 29 & September 5, 1992.
I didn't start listening to popular music until 1977 and even then this song was still such a big part of the musical landscape. It was played on radio constantly and was a very important part of me learning about the history of Rock and Roll.
I was 14 when this song came out. There was so good music in 1971, I thought that would go on forever. Sadly no. There’s no era like the late 60s and early 70s. This song really stood out in 1971, everyone could sing all the lyrics, including me. It was one of the first songs I learned on my guitar!
71 was one of the greatest years ever!
Great songs in 1971!
Don the man McLean, saying it like it is. I admire him for not being afraid to say the truth.
I went to college in the early 80's and we had a little bar that had Friday Afternoon Club. Invariably some would play American Pie and the whole crowded place would sing it word for word. GOOSEBUMPS!!! I still know all the words and it is my favorite song ever. Loved the interview and this episode!
I have two memes I would regularly post on Facebook when I was still on there:
Music is the only thing that stays when everything and everyone is gone.
Because when I listen to the music, the world doesn't hurt quite as loudly.
I love that!
Mom and dad had this eight track in our station wagon. I think this song should be the epitaph for our dying nation.
Trump 2024 !
@@geraldwaldrop5131Oh Dude, please don't bring politics here.
@@geraldwaldrop5131Don Mclean "The Ballad of George Floyd".
@@yeahnaaa292 "For What it's Worrh" is about demonstrations against police brutality. The more things change, the more they stay the same?
@@debbie4503 I agree. It has no place on a music channel.
The greatest American Rock song ever! Written and sung by a true American patriot.
Amen! Love your statement!
I cannot stand this song. I f you call me unpatriotic, I will throw a scoop of strawberry ice cream atcha!
Love that you allowed Don to express his thoughts about this great song without interrupting him. You Prof are a great interviewer. I think it would be absolutely awesome if you did an extended exploration as to the meaning of this song. Id love to hear your take on it all. Keep up.the great work and thank you.
if you were born in the early to mid 50s,ROCKNROLL will never die especially if you raised your kids right.
What a wonderful interview!
American Pie is a masterpiece in songwriting.
Having been born days before the Kennedy assassination, the moon landing and chaos of the late ‘60s are amongst my earliest memories.
Don crafted a song that so artfully took us from a time of innocence to uncomfortable awareness. He captured an era in a perfect 8 minutes of storytelling.
I love American pie it's one of my favorite song's in my honest opinion. I never get tired of hearing it. Ritchie Valens was so young sad day Feb 3, 1959. One of the greatest song's ever in my opinion.
I have to agree Wayne. It makes your heart swell!
He never got to graduate high school because of this. Sad.
I was in grade 12 when this song came out. I discovered a lot of the lyric symbolism later. It WAS probably the best song of the era among a multitude of great songs. Yes, the last verse was so moving. " And the three men I admire most, the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, they caught the last train for the coast" That really sums it all up. A great American song (like Simon and Gar.'s "America") a great tribute to a great country (coming from a Canadian)......................I will also mention "Vincent" another one of my all time favourites. As I approach 70 in two weeks the memories of songs like this are cherished by me and my generation. Thanks Don.
I’m a baby boomer and lived through that period of time. This wasn’t a song. It was what that period was all about. Just brilliant.
I hadn’t gone to college so in the 1970’s I decided to take a course in English literature at the community college. The professor was so excellent and a little “out there”. The class was so full and meaningful all around but the best was the night she came into the classroom with a record player and put this song on. She mesmerized the class with a wonderful discussion about every aspect of this song and life.
I eventually went on to a four year college and got a degree in classical & contemporary politics and this song was often in my head as I read about the historical “rock stars” and contrasted them with the modern.
Thanks for this! Just fabulous.
I'd love you to do a line by line breakdown of the lyrics to American Pie. I was in my early teens when this song came out, it was mind blowing in its length, complexity & beauty and I soon had every word memorized. Don McLean wrote some brilliantly meaningful songs that are certainly memorable components of my life experience. Thanks for this video!
Will do!
Yes, this song is absolutely timeless, and can't be replicated. Tellingly, when Madonna covered it, it didn't have the same heart behind it.
I agree. It just can be re made.
Madonna version is vastly inferior.
It was a travesty- Madonna simply didn’t personally care about the song and it showed.
Helter Skelter
I forgot Madonna covered it! I went to look it up & I wanted to like it but no, it's not the same. You're right, it doesn't have the same heart. You can hear Don McLean's emotional investment in his version. It sounds clean & simple. In his case, less is more & it shows in his voice & guitar. To me, Madonna added too much flash, lots of distracting background noise, synthesizers, etc.
_Starry Starry Night_ is also a great song. There are uploaded videos that show Vincent’s paintings while playing the song.
[Deleted Verse]
And there I stood alone and afraid
I dropped to my knees and there I prayed
And I promised Him everything I could give
If only He would make the music live
And He promised it would live once more
But this time one would equal four
And in five years four had come to mourn
And the music was reborn
Yes,every lyric. I am so proud I was a teen when this song was released. One of my favorites.
My sister is 5 years older than me. She in the late 60s and early 70s exposed me to SO much music through her collection of 45s. I think I wore that 45 record out! To this day I can sit and sing every word by heart and in fact did just that the other day for my wife. I remember listening to that 45 record and having to turn it to the B side just where "moss grows fat on a rolling stone".
I saw Don McClean at a concert at the Fresno Fair in the mid 80s at a open air theater. Just as he started "Vincent" with the words Starry Starry might, a shooting star shot through the sky over the theater. It was just so cool.
I remember sitting down with Don McLean for 3 hours. I already loved this song prior to my meeting. Even though I met him twice prior to my 3 hours spent with him! This was one of my brothers favorite songs top 5 I would think 🤔
Thanks for sharing. When was this?
@@ProfessorofRock in the 90's
@@ProfessorofRock You Know who Don McLean really likes? 👍 Leo Sayer what are going to do when Hulkamania runs 🏃♂️ wild on you Brother? 😳
Saw Don in '74 or '75 in Ithace, NY. He is so much more than just American Pie! Still one of the best, most fun AND funniest concerts in my 69 yrs. Thanks for the memories!
I’m so envious!
Ummm... Ithace?
(yes, I can read past the typo, but this one's just too fun to NOT pick at😁. Please forgive me)
Greatest memorial song ever written and played by the guy next door ,kinda thing..72 ,what a year at age 10,I love those rhythm and blues. Thanks DON
My respect for Don McLean has increased seven fold after hearing this brief interview. Thank you.
He gives great interviews. There are others here on youtube that are fairly recent (at least relative to the peak of his career).
Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU. I remember when America Pie came out. We all heard it just a few times and were able to sing it without music. It made us look at the enasence we were losing. It is the gratis song 🎵 of the era.
Amazing interview! Don McLean still expresses so much emotion in his speech. He still believes what he says. It makes the lyrics so much more powerful, especially with modern events. But I'm not crying. _You're_ crying!
Yes, absolutely do an episode breaking down the lyrics!
Will do!
His voice is ethereally beautiful and goes straight to the heart. I feel my BP going down when I listen to his gentle vibe. He's like a handmade quilt and a big steaming mug of Earl Grey for me.😍
Always loved Don’s music, his voice, his poetry. After hearing him in this interview, I love him so much more. Thanks, Adam.
Thanks for watching!
Mr McLean gets it. He is so right. Our culture and shared history are under attack now more than ever. The rot from within will be more devastating than any war. I love this song.
The one song I have never purchased or downloaded to a device--deliberately. Instead, I just wait to hear it when it gets randomly played on the radio, and it's like a gift.
That's awestome that you and others still purchase recordings!!
"Comfortably Numb", "Walking In Memphis", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "The Love I Lost", "My Rides Here", "Brown-Eyed Girl", "Sacrifice"(Elton John), "God Only Knows", "Sultans Of Swing", "Neon Moon", "Heard It In A Love Song", "Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There Is A Season)", "Oh Boy", "Africa", "Tulsa Time", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Down Home" (Ricky Nelson), "Going Up The Country", "Glad All Over", "Blue Sky", "Mr. Bojangles", "I Got A Line On You", "Caroline No", "Show And Tell", "She's Not There", "Out In The Country", "Yellow", "Losing My Religion", "I Am A Rock", "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress", "In Your Eyes" (live versions), "Beast Of Burden", "Yester Me, Yester You, Yesterday", "Come Dancing", "Come Monday", "Back Down South" (Kings Of Leon), "The Story In Your Eyes", "The Last Ride" (Todd Rundgren), "Everybody's Talkin", "Toes" (Zac Brown), "Incense And Peppermints", "A Song For You" (Leon Russell), "At Last" "Changed The Locks", "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald", "The Downeaster Alexa", "I've Been Searching So Long" (Chicago), "Deacon Blues, Haitian Divorce" "The Guitar Man", "Gentle On My Mind/Galveston" )Glen Campbell, "The Living Years", Stomp (the Johnson Brothers), "Here Comes My Girl", "Waiting On A Friend", "She's A Rainbow", "The Bluest Blues" (Alvin Lee), "Outside My Window" (Alvin Lee), "Loan Me A Dime" (Boz Scaggs), "Still Got The Blues (for you)" (Gary Moore), "Once In A Blue Moon" (Van), "Stranded" (Van), "Sloop John B", "My Rides Here" (Warren Zevon, and/or Springsteens cover), "Cotton Fields" (CCR), "Since You're Gone" (The Cars).....more as I remember them!
That's a great list
@@beeonthyme5760 Thanks, where is yours'?
Have you watched Glen Campbell @The Troubadour? One of my favorites of his latter concerts. Galveston & Wichita Lineman are 2 of my favorites.
Geeze, I love every one of those songs!!
@@chanchan5349 I have not, but I will now, thanks! Campbell is one of the more underrated folks of the last few generations, for sure.....
I knew what song it was as soon as you started talking. I kept saying "American Pie".... and when you mentioned about crying to it, confirming,tears came to my eyes again,as it so often does listening to and singing it. One time it came on the intercom in a grocery store and I started singing with it, whistling to some, and feeling it all the way through the store, and before it was over, there were many people singing and flowing to it. I'll never forget that.😢😊💜😎👍💜
The song brings people together!
I have heard Don McLean's American Pie on AM radio many times
over the years and the lyrics become kind of a story set to music
thanks again Professor have a great weekend.🇺🇲🫓🎸
Thanks for watching!
78 year-old Englishman here. I agree. This was the finest pop song ever written. I remember thinking at that time, that Don Mclean had screwed his prospective career by writing and recording a song which was so brilliant, that he he couldn't look forward to any kind of prolonged musical career, because he'd just written "American Pie", and would never be able to match it. I was sort of right, but he then came up with "Vincent". That confirmed his genius for me.
Thank you. I can't believe I am now 81. Elvis, Bill Haley etc launched when I was around 12. The sadness of the loss of great stars like Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. I still tell people I am a child of Rock and Roll. They smile, with no idea of what that is meant
Being a teenager at that time made us different and I think formed who we are today. We were the break away from boring music of the past.
I am glad to say that I'm one of the people left that can say that they remember this song from the day it came out thank you don't stop what you're doing
Same!
Same here