The CLASSIC Song That MAKES Adults CRY Like BABIES! | Professor of Rock

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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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...

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What is your pick for the SONG with THE GREATEST LYRICS from the rock era?

[@peterd.9978]

Vincent

[@TerrickTerran]

Achy Breaky Song by Weird Al

[@Sweet--Richard.4981]

Fire Woman. The Cult

[@Code.Name.V]

The Police - King Of Pain

[@catherine6653]

In My Life, John Lennon Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. It charted on the Billboard charts. Hope it counts.

[@sandramolina5068]

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.

[@miketatreau2347]

I still remember the lyrics as well. I'll be 64 soon.

[@mattterry1255]

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

[@stevezodiac575]

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.

[@BlueBlazer47]

We share birthdays! Hope yours was good.

[@cripplecreekqueen]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎊

[@migglemaggle9500]

When getting home and you can’t turn the car off until American Pie is finished. To the last note!!

[@carlacook5181]

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.

[@stevezodiac575]

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!

[@sylviaross5722]

"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.

[@carlacook5181]

@@sylviaross5722 my favorite lyrics are, “they did not listen, they’re not listening still, perhaps they never will.”

[@carlacook5181]

@@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.

[@carlacook5181]

@@stevezodiac575 I will, thanks.

[@mariom9008]

Don McLean is still alive? Holy crap! He’s a rock legend. His work is true art. Life is better for his songs.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

Yeah, check out his girlfriend!

[@Deep.Purple]

🤣

[@maureenobrien4807]

He lives in Maine with his family .

[@KittyDillion]

Everyone should love this country. it is awesome.

[@threeballedtomcat9380]

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.

[@LazyIRanch]

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!

[@threeballedtomcat9380]

@@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" !

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Great assignment idea!

[@user-eb4zi5hu1t]

@@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.

[@johntobin3235]

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.

[@justanaprilzepher1795]

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.

[@isolde1802]

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.

[@scottburton9701]

"American Pie" is an all-time classic-Still packs a punch 50+ years later.

[@bettyriley7295]

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.

[@473mec]

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.

[@partain2000]

This is what is missing in the musuc 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.

[@susantaulli6580]

Daniel by Elton John, Hotel California by the Eagles, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin all come to mind.

[@stanellis7805]

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!

[@Raymond51647]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@hughwright1860]

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.

[@LaManteca76]

@@hughwright1860 I hope you feel better.

[@williambenner701]

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!❤

[@Torgo1969]

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.

[@DukesMusic84]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

So cool!

[@DukesMusic84]

@@ProfessorofRock Thanks!

[@Fivemonthslater1]

People: “What does American Pie mean?” DM: “It means that I never need to work again if don’t want to.”

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

My third grade teacher introduced me to this song and she knew all the lyrics.

[@judywright4241]

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💝

[@TerrickTerran]

Oh and yes to a lyrical breakdown of this song.

[@robertwright5647]

Yes please do a breakdown of the lyrics. This such a beautiful song and I think everyone should understand the meaning of the lyrics.

[@iaclassic]

Pretty sure we just all heard the writer himself say he wants listeners to interpret for themselves.

[@chrisbenson6683]

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.

[@jeffreywick4057]

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"

[@johnnyb3245]

The title and your closing remarks are exactly right. They don't make a masterpiece like this nowadays.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen! Thanks for watching!

[@TheWorldTeacher]

They do, but you won't hear them in the mass media.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Indeed!

[@nouveaudemarrer9128]

I completely agree! Modern music SUCKS! I prefer the old stuff over the modern crap today.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

Tell that to Taylor Swift! lol

[@mikehenson819]

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.

[@larryjolley5229]

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!!

[@chrisoakley5830]

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.

[@DesignRhythm]

Songs are immortal + can't be destroyed. What an incredibly powerful observation Mr. McLean.

[@periannwashenfelder-uw9qj]

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!

[@billystutz55]

Gives me chills every time 🥹 My hope for America will never die, because of the American people. I would love a lyrical breakdown.

[@63rambler66]

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.

[@historianKelly]

I love that story, too!

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

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.

[@LaManteca76]

I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing!

[@SwitchMonkey]

Don Maclean was wearing rose colored glasses during the entire interview. I see it as a symbol of hope. He is full of hope. ❤

[@LQOTW]

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.

[@MatthewC137]

@@LQOTW The richest men are behind communism. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

@@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.

[@folderjamx]

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.

[@jbr2991]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool! What's your favorite part of the song?

[@jbr2991]

@@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.

[@kevinramsey417]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

This song rings even more true today.

[@doktormcnasty]

How could a nation built, in large part anyway, on genocide and slavery have 'innocence"?

[@mjt1517]

@@doktormcnastyjust about every nation is built on conquest and slavery. Your point?

[@cjcurtis8944]

@@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.

[@twyatt75]

"The moment we're in right now......God help us." My favorite quote from you.

[@ScottyPeabody]

I play a lotta golf and sometimes when I’m walking down the fairway I’ll start singing the lyrics. It’s astonishing how long the song is, and how the song is so soothing and relaxing. Truly a rhyme before the rhymes.

[@fredgroenke2586]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree!

[@ricksatterstrom7461]

I'd love to hear more about this song!! I saw him in concert a few years back, great show! Do it Professor - Please !!

[@kimberlypatton205]

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!

[@samanthab1923]

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.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Thanks for your husband's (Devil Dog) service. Retired Gator Sailor here...

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

That’s in the Panhandle right?

[@RetiredSailor60]

​@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980. Lubbock isn't in the Panhandle. It's northwest of Ft Worth area, South of Amarillo

[@DarkFlamage]

As one Marine to another, I Salute you for your service! Semper Fi- Leatherneck!

[@silverfox108]

Yes a breakdown of each line would be educational and worth watching

[@QBAN2010]

Taylor’s longest number one will quickly be forgotten! American Pie will never be forgotten….

[@thomasderouin72]

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!!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen.

[@TerrickTerran]

Richie Valens still saddens me to this day and it happened well before I was born.

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

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!!

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

This literally brought tears to my eyes. Thinking about how music used to be important, and how trivial and disposable it is today!

[@LazyIRanch]

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.""

[@terencem8795]

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.

[@vehicle22]

The lyrical poetry in that song is unequalled. And Vincent wasn't shabby, either. 👍👍

[@ProfessorofRock]

I have to agree! Wonderful

[@LazyIRanch]

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.

[@erinriwen]

Vincent is my favorite, even over this classic

[@reneebennett643]

Vincent❤

[@kellidinit3725]

Love Vincent. One of my personal favorites.

[@tylercass2584]

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.

[@mletrout7942]

My respect for Don McLean has increased seven fold after hearing this brief interview. Thank you.

[@MatthewC137]

He gives great interviews. There are others here on youtube that are fairly recent (at least relative to the peak of his career).

[@jerrywellborn]

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.

[@jonfargo7321]

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. 😊

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@Sherwoody]

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.

[@RussianNightmare]

Nah, song is way overrated

[@GoddessLadyRei]

I never liked the song until you explained its meaning. I got goosebumps and started crying just from you explaining it.

[@michaelbaucom4019]

The older I get, the harder this song hits. Well done interview(letting him speak, too many interviewers interrupt), thanks

[@keithkarbel2000]

Always loved Don’s music, his voice, his poetry. After hearing him in this interview, I love him so much more. Thanks, Adam.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

You are THE MAN!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@ProfessorofRock Man in Motion, on Fire, 🔥 in the Middle , on the Moon, 🌙 Overboard, or the Hour?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Keep doing it!

[@suzybearheart530]

Very cool 😎

[@CharlesWalker-sf8td]

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

[@briarpalek9254]

Same!

[@darleneschneck]

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!

[@ProfessorofRock]

71 was one of the greatest years ever!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Great songs in 1971!

[@musclecarmitch908]

Awesome interview Professor! This song has always been one of the greatest! It was my favorite as a young 9 year old boy when it came out, we used to ride our bicycles and sing along with it! I had a transistor radio in a leather case I would hang on my bicycle handlebars, brings back great memories! Thanks for keeping the music alive Professor!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Rock on!

[@bluegreenglue6565]

I would argue that there was never a time when music was "innocent" or "pure." Anymore than any time in history was more of either or those descriptors. But this song is truly brilliant and cathartic, bringing to light points of view that were rarely acknowledged in the pop-music age.

[@DPM917]

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.”

[@waynevia6976]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I have to agree Wayne. It makes your heart swell!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

He never got to graduate high school because of this. Sad.

[@mfgc2610]

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!

[@63rambler66]

I’m so envious!

[@davelindstrom6005]

Ummm... Ithace? (yes, I can read past the typo, but this one's just too fun to NOT pick at😁. Please forgive me)

[@workingmansdead44-ug8hl]

if you were born in the early to mid 50s,ROCKNROLL will never die especially if you raised your kids right.

[@JaySmith-pv2mw]

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.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I love that!

[@rogertemple7193]

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.🇺🇲🫓🎸

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@johngrevas8819]

Don the man McLean, saying it like it is. I admire him for not being afraid to say the truth.

[@DesignRhythm]

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.

[@jonniiinferno9098]

veritas !!!

[@simbad909]

Lol I like that

[@laurat1129]

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.☮️

[@DesignRhythm]

@@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.

[@robbysguitars8223]

Mom and dad had this eight track in our station wagon. I think this song should be the epitaph for our dying nation.

[@geraldwaldrop5131]

Trump 2024 !

[@debbie4503]

​@@geraldwaldrop5131Oh Dude, please don't bring politics here.

[@yeahnaaa292]

​@@geraldwaldrop5131Don Mclean "The Ballad of George Floyd".

[@obgfoster]

@@yeahnaaa292 "For What it's Worrh" is about demonstrations against police brutality. The more things change, the more they stay the same?

[@stephenhanft1226]

@@debbie4503 I agree. It has no place on a music channel.

[@flilguy]

I'm 55. It was still played on the radio in the late 1970s and early 80s. I now wonder if the death of Elvis and John Lennon gave the song new meaning. I also didn't realize the song was 8:42 long.

[@user-eb4zi5hu1t]

I remember when the song came out, DJ Larry Lujack of WLS in Chicago once said he would play the full version so he could go to the bathroom.

[@Rhett-Christopher]

A few weeks ago my wife, our 2 children (ages 14 & 16) and my wife's parents drove an hour and half to Buddy Holly's birth place in Lubbock Texas and on the way we listened to a playlist of Buddy Holly songs and we ended the trip to his birthplace with the song American Pie playing in the car. My kids loved it and after American Pie was done playing it sparked alot of questions by my kids of history in which my parent-in-laws and my wife and I got to share/answer with our kids about the times then and what the song lyrics were saying. It was a memorable trip indeed!

[@williambarry8015]

Thank you for your service of raising good Citizens👍👍✌️

[@lisaseliger6597]

Don Mclean has not lost his edge! His voice is Golden! Great interview!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

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 🤔

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing. When was this?

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@ProfessorofRock in the 90's

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@ProfessorofRock You Know who Don McLean really likes? 👍 Leo Sayer what are going to do when Hulkamania runs 🏃‍♂️ wild on you Brother? 😳

[@rafetomsett5804]

This was the best PROFESSOR OF ROCK yet. Sad, but truer words never spoken. Thank you 👨‍🎨

[@ProfessorofRock]

Wow, thank you!

[@johnrunion5357]

AMERICAN PIE is the song that made me an active music fan. i was born in 1962. i very, very vaguely remember hearing music that sounded like the the early hits of the beach boys, the early and mid-era beatles, the hits of the byrds. i was so very young i don't know if it was actually those artists or not; it could have been someone else co-oping their styles. the monkees hit when i was four and i was a huge fan. it was the first time i was able to put a name and a face with a song. a little later on while listening to the radio i was able to tell CCR by the sound of their musical style and john fogerty's john the baptist sounding voice; the voice of one crying in the wilderness. my mom listened to folk-ish sounding music such as judy collins and simon and garfunkel in the car. my dad listened to country in the car; artists like merle haggard and charley pride. my sister in her car played pop and rock. some of those songs of each genre i liked; some i didn't; some didn't bother me either way. then when i was in the 4th grade (71-72 school year) i went with a group to go bowling. at the bowling alley they had a juke box that loudly played each selection. while waiting in line for my turn to bowl i heard and song and i gladly gave up my place in line to go to the juke to discover just what song it was. the song was american pie. my life was forever changed. a few months later at the local grocery store that actually sold singles and albums i found don's album containing the song. my mom knew i loved that song. eventually she gave me 5 dollars to purchase the song. it was the biggest purchase of my life up until that time. the grocer had the albums priced to where once the tax was added the total sale was five dollars even. he had the 45's priced so that with tax the total sale would come to one dollar flat. i nervously handed the checker, who was a girl my age's grandmother, the five dollar bill this purchase was a big deal in so very many ways to me. it was the first album i ever bought. i took it home and fell in love with the rest of the album as well. thank you don McLean. your music and music in general have greatly enriched my life. yes, i would like to hear a full break down of the song's lyrics. i have heard and read so many things over the decades. even after watching the doc i am still uncertain as to some of the meanings. buddy holly is my favorite recording artist of any musical genre of the 50's.

[@johnmcdougald1238]

For me, this is your best interview yet. I was 1st introduced to this song in 5th grade, around 1979. My teacher always had music appreciation Fridays and all us kids brought in our records and one of us got to "DJ" the event. We listened to different music and we talked about it and learned a little about the people singing it. But her favorite album, that we all wanted to hear, every week, was American Pie and Vincent. Every time I hear American Pie, I think back to Ruth Venuti and her 5th grade class. That was the beginning of my love for learning about different music and how it influences or tells a story about the times it was written for. I genuinely love what you do and the stories you're able to bring to the masses. I grew up in the album rock days of radio. The DJs on those stations had stories that related to the artist, or the songs they played. Those days are gone now, due to corporate ownership. DJs are boiled down, nowadays as nothing much more than computer operators who just click the button and download the play list and have no real interest in what's there.

[@robertweldon7909]

I was 12 when Buddy Holly died. I vaguely remember the TV news report about the plane crash (maybe) It was mid winter in Cleveland and IJAD to pay attention to school, so my memory is dim. I didn't really know or realize what had happened. Strange, how so many rock and roller's have died in aircraft crashes. These three were the first of so, so many. Don did a great tribute, we all can sing along with him. Yes, this song will live on, long after our children's grand children are gone. ;-)

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Robert! Great insight!

[@Raggmopp-xl7yf]

That's a fact - especially since Jim Croce died in the same way just 2 years after this song was released. I'll admit that the plane crash that took Lynyrd Skynyrd gutted me.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

You’re in Cleveland Ohio?

[@robertweldon7909]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 No, I grew up there. I now live in Atlanta, Ga. (44 years)

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

@@robertweldon7909 Awesome! I have been to both places.

[@trinaq]

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.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. It just can be re made.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Madonna version is vastly inferior.

[@suem7515]

It was a travesty- Madonna simply didn’t personally care about the song and it showed.

[@RobertVanPelt-pf6bn]

Helter Skelter

[@LaManteca76]

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.

[@jeannereich8690]

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.

[@sklag1]

Don was asked what the song meant. His reply was "It means I'll never have to work again"

[@justanamerican9024]

I lived through the turbulence of the 60's. This song distilled the essence of that time in a pure form. Thank you! Yes, we are still on that rough road of adjusting our definition of democracy. I fear for our future more now then back then.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

And an orange hateful human being who is going to destroy democracy.

[@RDGardea]

This song is perfect and involves such imagery. I cry every time he talks about going to the sacred store…

[@tedsilversyeager840]

"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"....

[@beeonthyme5760]

That's a great list

[@tedsilversyeager840]

@@beeonthyme5760 Thanks, where is yours'?

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

This song is in my top 4 favorite songs 🎵

[@ProfessorofRock]

What're the other 3?

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@ProfessorofRock Did you see the video I sent you of Agnethas grand daughter of ABBA?

[@TerrickTerran]

This song is probably my favorite long song (Hotel California might beat it depending on the day) and Al's parody of it (The Saga Beings) is probably my 2nd favorite Al song as well. Just amazing all around.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@dianewilliams1125]

I agree!😊😊😊

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

What’s your favorite Al song?

[@TerrickTerran]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 White and Nerdy is my favorite.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

@@TerrickTerran That one cracks me up!

[@DanielWright-np3fq]

That song still moves me. Timeless classic.

[@shiroibasketshoes]

Hi Professor; I am glad to see your feature and interview. I bought the “American Pie” album around 1980. I’d heard it was about the plane crash that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper were on, but indeed it seems to cover so much more, too. Roberta Flack’s hit “Killing Me Softly With His Song” was about its writer Lori Lieberman going to see a Don McLean concert. My favorite Don McLean song is his hit rerecording of “Castles In The Air.” I was kind of haunted by memory of my long gone grandfather playing Don McLean’s “Vincent” on the piano, then it was decades later before I realized that was the song it was. My coworker insists the chorus says “My my…” not “Bye bye…” but I disagree with him. There was a Peanuts cartoon about Snoopy tiring of Woodstock playing “American Pie” over and over and over. Have a great weekend!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Love Castles in the Air!

[@coryburris8211]

It's only "my, my" if it's followed by "this here Anakin guy" 😂

[@shiroibasketshoes]

@@coryburris8211 I get it. My coworker doesn't like Weird Al, but I could tell stories about my twice meeting Sir Yankovic etc.

[@obgfoster]

Your cowker probably also thinks the Roadrunner says, "Meep meep."

[@shiroibasketshoes]

@@obgfoster If he's heard of the Wile E. Coyote / Roadrunner cartoons. He's a third of my age and didn't go to college.

[@hotrod1793]

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.

[@Whisper_292]

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!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Will do!

[@LazyIRanch]

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.😍

[@yotakarastamatis8456]

When this song came on the radio, everyone in school, at home or on the streets would stop and listen. How could you not, the lyrics and Don's voice was like poetry in motion. Absolutely the most beautiful song in rock and roll history. I also love Vincent ❤

[@hummingbirdess8763]

As a young teen I never quite knew what the song was about , only that it was about Buddy Holly dying. The more I listened thru the years, the more I became to understand the absolute depth of the song. It will never be equaled. Don McLean wrote the best song of all time describing what that period was like and what was to become. It will forever be a classic.

[@scottburton9701]

Fascinating interview with Don Mc Lean.

[@applebysattictreasures9394]

I listened to this a million times when I was in 7th grade....on a 45....that you had to turn over halfway through the song. Today's kids don't understand our struggle...waiting with a tape recorder for the "the" song to come on......

[@budchin1]

My family was living in San Diego when the song hit. We didn't have a TV, but we did have a radio, and as a young kid, I recall the tune catching my brain. It still does today. Thanks, Bob.

[@mlong5666]

American Pie entered my ears in '71 as a high school sophomore and has never left me. I listen to and sing the lyrics at full volume every time. My wife of almost 50 years and I sat a mere 15 feet away from Don 25 years ago in the San Juan Capistrano Coach House. I cried my eyes out. His songs are incredibly beautiful and spell binding. God must bless the man and his musical talent that saves my mortal soul each and every time.

[@ShandiNicole1982]

Great Interview. My dad made me learn this song. Usually it was my older brother who made me learn songs usually with a little twisting of my arm (literally). But when dad told me this was one of his and my mom’s favorite songs. I had to learn it.

[@ponzo1967]

Who thinks this is one of the greatest songs ever written? Awesome episode Professor ⭐

[@bobberdude557]

I loved this song all through college, 1984-87 What I didn’t know until years later as an F-15E Weapon System Officer (WSO), this became a fighter pilot song. After serving in combat and seeing the real world up close, and the loss of innocence did I really appreciate the words. I still sing it out loud in the bar when it plays.

[@johnrocks65]

Born in 1959 I loved the song when I first heard still do. American Pie came on the radio, I started singing. My niece was with me I told her about the song and the meaning. The first time I heard it there were tears, they still come every time I hear it.

[@ceilconstante640]

The greatest American Rock song ever! Written and sung by a true American patriot.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen! Love your statement!

[@cherylsimon7785]

I cannot stand this song. I f you call me unpatriotic, I will throw a scoop of strawberry ice cream atcha!

[@debbie4503]

@ProfessorofRock Please point out that McLean was referring to Pete Seeger and Little Boxes, NOT Bob Seger.

[@sgtmomOK]

I was a young teen when this song came out of nowhere. My parents hated “our” music, and I really didn’t care much for this song. My mom loved it. She’d sing and hum it all the time…the end of her era. The end of the good times and happy days… My kids are in their 40s now and love the song as well. And so do I.

[@list-and-sell]

A substitute teacher I had in high school took us through the lyrics of this song for music class. I was fascinated - born in '57 so some of these events I was alive for but just a little person with no immediate personal knowledge. She was a great teacher and we all learned something important that day.

[@CandGoods]

I'm a child of the 90s, so honestly I have a lot more attachment to and fondness for the Weird Al parody, I hear the beginning of American Pie, and I just go "a long long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Naboo was under attack". Honestly didn't realize Don McLean was still alive. He sounds like he's just a short distance away from complaining about wokeness ruining everything. Also, Pete Seeger being a communist is based, actually.

[@user-eb4zi5hu1t]

Watch Weird Al's video and pay attention. Don McLean is in the video.

[@misterwombat]

"My, my, this here Anakin guy ..."

[@TerrickTerran]

Oh yeah....love that song so much.

[@DC8091]

maybe Vader someday later . . . 🤣

[@TerrickTerran]

@@DC8091 but for now he's a small fry. 😋

[@EmetYAHU]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnbGm5qAiNaGiLcsi=DhQRZKzYYGJ1ByFe

[@erinriwen]

A classic parody

[@paulendicott9151]

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.

[@adawil2002]

In 1973 & 1974 I'd sing along when "American Pie" was on the radio. Same with Wings "Band on the Run" & Grand Funk Railroad "I'm Your Captain" My mom had a 1968 VW Karmann Ghia in 1973, I was 5, & complained there was no leg room in the back seat. When those songs played, I was whisked away to The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake Iowa by Don McLean.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Like that line about the College football game Navy and Notre Dame when Roger Stauback winning the Heisman Trophy with that game #1

[@BROU-bb2uc]

I do believe it was about the Cal Stanford game where the band went on the field.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@BROU-bb2uc That Cal and Stanford game was was 1982!