Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ Lyrics Sell for $1.2M

The lyrics of one of the most iconic songs of the 20th century, “American Pie”, from erstwhile folk artist Don McLean, was sold for $1.2 million, auctioneers said on Tuesday.

Auctioneers Christie’s said in report that it fell short of the $2 million record set last year for Bob Dylan’s hand-written lyrics for “Like A Rolling Stone.”

Head of the books and manuscripts department at Christie’s,Tom Lecky, said such price was a “fitting tribute” to one of the foremost singer/songwriters of his generation. In a statement, Lecky said the result is a testament to the creative genius of Don McLean and to the song’s ability to still engage and inspire.

Don McLean’s hand-written and typed drafts include notes and deletions, giving clues to the meaning of the eight-minute song that has had countless interpretations since it was released in 1971, reports said.

McLean, 69, in an interview ahead of the sale, said the writing and the lyrics will divulge everything there is to divulge.”

“You’ll see what I am thinking about. It is a piece of a dream that I am trying to capture.” He added.

McLean was a struggling songwriter when he wrote the song in Cold Spring, N.Y. and Philadelphia. Its six verses reflect the social upheavals that were occurring in the United States in the 1960s and early ’70s.

“The death of Buddy Holly was the beginning of the song,” McLean said. “That’s what came to me. I loved Buddy Holly and that is very autobiographical, the first part of the song.”

The Day the Music Died

The lyrics “the day the music died” in “American Pie” refer to the 1959 plane crash that killed Holly, along with fellow rock ‘n roll singers Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as “The Big Bopper,” report said.

The song captured the essence of a period in American histor,y says Francis Wahlgren, the international director of printed books and manuscripts at Christie’s.

“American Pie” was named a Song of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Source: GMA News Online