The eight-and-a-half-minute song American Pie took the world by storm in 1971. Don McLean wrote one of the most successful and debated songs of the 20th century. It became a staple of American music, and, with the passing decades, the song is still heard, adored, and even interpreted in multiple ways. Five decades later, American Pie remains one of the most dissected songs in the history of popular music.
Don McLean in concert at Hard Rock Live, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, and Casino, Hollywood, Florida. Photo By Mediapunch/Shutterstock
American Pie quickly became a cultural event and, although many people weren’t even sure what it was about, it still reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart within weeks. Interestingly, the now-74-year-old McLean refused to discuss the meaning of the lyrics for decades. But he finally allowed us to crack the code, thanks to a 2015 interview he gave when the original manuscript of the song went up for auction (and was sold for $1.2 million, by the way).
So let’s break it down…