“Well, I know that that you’re in love with him, I saw you dancing in the gym. Others come from songs, the culture, or things happening in the world at the time. Verse by verse, he goes through what he means by the lyrics.Īlthough the first verse clearly refers to the pain he felt over the death of Buddy Holly, many lines of the song relate to McLean’s childhood and other life experiences. 1 in early 1972, and has been an American favorite ever since.Īfter the documentary goes through much of the back story of “American Pie,” McLean sits down and does what he’s never done before.
And all of that was compounded by negative reviews by Rolling Stone Magazine.Īnd yet, the song went on to reach No. “Then the thing is eight-and-a-half minutes long, so how is that going to become a No. Once in the studio, there was a problem getting it to sound the way McLean wanted it to sound, until a piano player named Paul Griffin was added to the mix. UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1970: Photo of Don McLean Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images getty
