Posted on 03/26/2019 8:26:14 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
McLean talks with MarketWatch about the only two stocks he owns, the meaning of ‘American Pie,’ and why he’s never had an assistant.
In 1971, Don McLean released the album “American Pie,” and the title song became one of the most famous — and successful — ever made. It came out at a time of major political and social upheaval in America, and captured a feeling of loss. The song runs for over eight minutes, and is No. 5 on the list of best songs of the 20th century. Now 73, McLean talked with MarketWatch about his most famous song, and a wide range of other topics, including money, stardom, and the music business today.
McLean says he’s made $150 million in his career, and that his degree in finance (from Iona College in 1968) and his smart business manager helped him make the money last — and grow. He looks to make 6% a year on his money, so he owns a lot of bonds, and only two stocks. McLean, who has been married twice and has two children, hates the idea of being in debt, and buys everything with cash — including the four homes he’s owned.
He’s curious about the markets and at one point in the interview said, “I want to ask you something. In a relatively short time, the stock market has gone from like 18000 to 25000. Don’t people think that’s a little strange? It’s shocking.” He then said: “When I grew up, gold was $35 an ounce and pegged to the dollar. Everything was slow and steady. Government bonds under President Carter, if you went out 30 years you could get like 20%! Do you remember that? Imagine getting 20%, locking that in for 30 years? I’d do that in a minute.”
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
I think he was on the Dick Cavett show back in the 70’s and he made the comment that he made enough money on that one song to last a lifetime.
Don McLean sang stories, not bubble gum music.........My favorite has always been “Vincent”......
“American Pie”
[Intro]
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they’d be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
[Verse 1]
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you’re in love with him
‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
I started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
[Verse 2]
Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone
But that’s not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
We were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
[Verse 3]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
‘Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
[Chorus:]
We started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
And singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
[Verse 4]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan’s spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
He was singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
And singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
[Outro]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play
And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
[Chorus:]
And they were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die
[Chorus:]
They were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
And singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
Ford is paying 7-8%
Pardon me, but what’s that song about?
He was right.
Compare that to the fools who hit it big (with one song/one movie/series) and then have it all blown away, within a decade.
What I liked/respected about McLean was that, when American Pie was such a huge hit, he chose to return to the little “hole in the wall”place where he’d played when he wasn’t a popular star for New Year’s Eve that year. He’d have had his choice of any venue in the USA but remained loyal to the place where he started.
Yikes. She’s well built.
I’ve seen Weird Al twice.. Best show ever! And he’s a really nice guy!
He has one thing wrong on Gold, $35 on ounce was a arbitrary number and did not reflect the true value of Gold on the world markets. That price was set by the government after FDR took all private ownership of gold away and only after Gold was finally let to float in price did the real value show up.
Well, let’s be fair, American Pie was not his only hit. There was VINCENT, his ode to the eccentric painter, Van Gogh, and there was his version of Roy Orbison’s hit, CRYING, all of these made the charts.
Of course he did not rest on his laurels, he continued to do sold out concerts worldwide for decades.
“When you get old you see these descriptions of your timeline of life being written by kids and you just shake your head”
True in politics as well, like when we have to listen to Ben Shapiro and other members of the Reagan Era Diaper Brigade instruct us on what conservatism consists of.
RE: Don McLean sang stories...
Bob Dylan once called him America’s Troubador after hearing him in concert.
No doubt he’s a lefty. One of these days they all could ride a train out into the sunset singing their version of the trinity.
For years, McLean refused to explain what “American Pie” really meant. Then, during one interview, he told some talking head “Do you want to know the REAL meaning of American Pie?”
The interviewer leaned in as if she was about to get a major scoop.
“It means I never had to seriously work again for the rest of my life.”
Under $9 a share. How the mighty have fallen.
“I don’t lend money, and I don’t borrow money. That’s another thing. I don’t have any debts.”
Funny thing for a man to say who’s in the Bond Market.
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