You're going to be buying your ticket with your heartache, you're gonna be payin' the man with your dues. You're gonna be living alone when you hear that whistle moan, you're gonna be learnin' to live with the blues.
Don McLeanWe live in a world of empty spectacle, the world of spectacle rock, songs you can't remember, it's all about the expression of money, power and kind of empty and fascistic. Where technology has changed society, where people are not using their brains as much, not seeing the bigger picture but constantly looking down at the cellphone and not seeing the bigger picture. Today's songwriter need to be on outside, find their own trip if you will and find a way to connect from a place that no one has heard before. It might be taken as weird but that is what makes it unique.
Don McLeanThat's the hard thing - getting started. You get started for a long time until you finally get to this point where people call you an icon or whatever they call you. It's nice. Suddenly the audience is with you more and they help you along and it's not so much that you have to do everything.
Don McLeanBecause of an off-hand funny comment I made backstage at a concert years ago, a story circulated that the song has been a burden and even that I didnยt sing it for a while. Thatยs completely false. I am very proud of ยAmerican Pieย and the many satellites that grow from it and revolve around it. For many years I carried my songs around and now they carry me around. I have always sung ยAmerican Pieย for my audience and would never think of disappointing them since it is they who have given me a wonderful life and untold affection for almost 30 years.
Don McLean