Most people don't realize how hard it is. Now you've got to start working and proving yourself. 'I am a strong person, but a lot came down at once. 'Everything was on my shoulders,' he told Songfacts. The sudden success was great for McLean financially (he bought a Mercedes, not a Chevy), but difficult in terms of expectations. Importantly, it showed McLean's depth as a songwriter and performer, and ensured he could never be a one-hit wonder. 'Vincent' was the next single, and a substantial hit, going to #12 in May. The song 'American Pie' caught on quickly and rose to #1 in America on January 15, 1972, staying at the top for four weeks. The American Pie album is best known for the title track, which vaulted McLean from little-known folk singer to major recording artist. So it makes someone like me a relic, because I am doing things and people like me are doing things that utilize all the classic means of emotional expression.'

Sadly, this has really gone out of music completely. You have wit and drama and humor and pathos and anger and all of these things create the subtle tools that an artist, a stage artist, a good one, uses. One thing I want to say is that music is like poetry in so many ways.

I said, Wow, just tell the story using the color, the imagery, the movement, everything that's in the painting. I'm looking through the book and fiddling around and I saw the painting. But then I thought, well, how do you do this? Again, I wanted to have each thing be different. Secondly, I could set the record straight, basically, he wasn't crazy. So what caused the idea to percolate in my head was, first of all, what a beautiful idea for a piece of music. And Theo also had this illness, the same one Van Gogh had. And it said that it was written by Vincent's brother, Theo. Talking about the song on the UK show Songbook, McLean said: 'It was inspired by a book.

American pie song analysis