Although he had been working out parts in his head over several months, McLean claims the actual pen-to-paper writing process only took about an hour total.Įach verse of the song ends with the line “the day the music died,” which famously references the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and McLean’s musical idol, Buddy Holly.
So what’s the secret behind this song that has allowed it to endure in our culture for over half a century? 5 Writing And RecordingĪccording to Don McLean, he wrote “American Pie” in two short sessions, coming up with the first part of the song and chorus in Cold Springs, New York, and finishing the rest in Philadelphia.
