‘American Pie’ Singer Don McLean Reveals Secret Behind Good Songwriting

The “American Pie” singer Don McLean, 78, has been an accomplished musician for decades. In a new interview, McLean is opening up to reveal the secret behind good songwriting.

McLean’s Songwriting Advice

“There’s a lot of pain, you know, if you want to be a songwriter,” McLean told Fox News. “If you’re not hurting, you’re no good as a songwriter. You know, if you have everything work out perfect for you, you’ve got nothing to say, you know?”

“And you certainly can’t relate to the average person out there who has all sorts of … bad things in his life, you know, he has to deal with: kids on drugs and ex-wives and no money and you name it, one thing after another,” he added.

McLean knows a thing or two about pain. He was only 15 years-old when his father dropped dead right in front of him. He described this ordeal as being a “nightmare.”

“I cried for two years,” he previously told The Guardian of how he dealt with his father’s death. “I blamed myself.”

Watch McLean talk more about this in the video below.

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McLean ‘Wanted Magic’

In his latest interview, McLean said this experience led to him wanting to find “magic” in life.

“From that point on, I wanted magic,” he explained. “And I found magic in the guitar and the banjo and rock and roll, in folk music and records. I found magic, and I pursued magic. Sometimes I found magic with women, you know? And I have a wonderful time. But then sometimes that would go bad, you know? And I write about it.”

While he’s written many incredible songs over the years, he feels that “American Pie” remains some of his best work.

“It’s a magic piece of work. I think it’s good lyric writing,” he said. “I think the concept was really off the walls, and I was able to somehow capture that.”

Check out McLean performing “American Pie” in the video below.

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McLean Appreciates His Fans

Decades into his career, McLean appreciates that so many fans still love to watch him perform.

“I respect the fact that they will spend money – I mean, millions and millions and millions of people have spent money to hear me sing, you know, over 50 years,” he said. “That’s an amazing [thing]. I mean, people, you know, spend their evening with me, millions and millions.”

“When I go out there, I try to, I give them everything I have,” he added.

When he isn’t performing, McLean strives to help the homeless through his Don McLean Foundation. 

“We’re going to send money every year to people, individuals who care, who are running homeless shelters and soup kitchens, and they’re all over the country, you know, and I’m going to help all those people,” he said.

McLean’s History

Born in New Rochelle, New York in 1945, McLean was in love with music by the age of five. He bought his first guitar at 15 and became determined to become a professional musician.

McLean recorded his first album “Tapestry” in 1969. This album was successful enough that McLean became something of an underground sensation.

In 1971, McLean was rocketed to international stardom with “American Pie.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Throughout his career, McLean has released 20 studio albums, four live albums, 11 compilation albums, and 16 singles.

McLean is one of the most talented songwriters in the world, so anyone looking to break into the music industry would do well to follow his advice. Here’s hoping he has many years of songwriting left in him to come!