Don McLean likes these red pills very much, thanks.
Don McLean Claims ‘American Pie’ Predicted ‘Woke Bulls—’ Culture
Don McLean has no time for what he describes as “woke bullshit,” adding that it’s the kind of societal issue he conveyed in his 1971 classic “American Pie.”“The song really does open up a whole historical question about what happened in the ’60s and assassinations and the history that forms the backbone of the song as it moves forward,” the rocker explained during a recent interview with Metro. “This song talks about the fact that things are going somewhat in the wrong direction, and I think that they’re still going in the wrong direction. I think most people looking at America now kind of think that too.”
The rock legend then went on to draw a line between the issues portrayed in “American Pie” and the current climate in the U.S.A.
“I mean, we certainly have a wonderful country, and we do wonderful things, but we also are in the middle of all this woke bullshit,” he declared. “All this other stuff that there is absolutely no point to, as far as I can see, other than to undermine people’s beliefs in the country. That’s very bad.”
It’s a short article, of which you should read the etc. The Tunedamage embed here couldn’t be more obvious, I shouldn’t think. CF greybeards probably think you’ve heard the song enough times and to spare by now, but give it a listen anyway, all eight and a half minutes of it—I betcha you’ll find yourself enjoying it more than you thought you would, tapping your toes and singing along before the second damned verse is finished. You young whippersnappers who wandered in here by mistake and haven’t heard it, on the other hand, need to get your ears on and learn a little something worth the knowing, by Gad.
Seriously wonderful stuff, whatever McLean’s politics might be. Regardless of how many times I’ve heard it (to this day I still have every word of the lyrics memorized, you do the math) it still tightens my throat up in spots.
NOTE: Now crossposted at Bill’s place as well, for reasons which shall become obvious if you click on over there.
Have loved that song since many moons ago. Never thought about its meaning much. Glad I did not know back then. Had always heard it referenced Buddy Holly though
It do, it do–the plane crash which killed Holly, Richie Valens, the Big Bopper, and their pilot has been called “the day the music died” pretty much since the day after it happened.
Waylon Jennings, of all people, was supposed to be on that flight too (he was Holly’s bass player), but he gave up his seat at the last minute at the insistence of the Big Bopper, who said he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to get the trip over with quick as he could.
As musically challenged as I may be, that is one of my all time favorite songs. It gave me chills when I heard it the first time (50+ years ago!) and it still does. It really does tell a tale of America, and I can see my group of friends in the telling. Written write smack dab in the middle of the greatest time in history…
Whiskey and rye
I was living in Denver when this one rolled out on the local Big Rocker station, listening with a friend. When the song ended, we just looked at each other and shook our heads. He said, “In two weeks that is going to be the number one song in America.”
He wasn’t wrong.
The only other song I ever heard him make a prediction like that about was “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
It’s incredible to think that two artists as disparate as Don McLean and Johnny Ramone had the very same ideas about America going astray somewhere in the mid 60s. This song though it much more direct about it. Johnny really just had it as a theme for why he was ‘punk’ and in the background why he was a Reagan fan.
It’s always been a fave of mine since I first heard it and really had no idea who most of the characters really were. Somehow, even as a preteen I could sense from my father and grandfather talking on a Sunday before the big meal there was something distressing going on.