McLean's grandfather and father, both also named Donald McLean, had roots originating in Scotland. The Buccis, the family of McLean's mother, Elizabeth, came from Abruzzo in central Italy. They left Italy and settled in Port Chester, New York at the end of the 19th century. He has other extended family in Los Angeles and Boston. Though some of his early musical influences included Frank Sinatra and Buddy Holly, as a teenager, McLean became interested in folk music, particularly the Weavers' 1955 recording At Carnegie Hall. He often missed long periods of school because of childhood asthma, particularly music lessons, and although McLean slipped back in his studies, his love of music was allowed to flourish. By age 16, he had bought his first guitar and began making contacts in the music business, becoming friends with the folk singers Erik Darling and Fred Hellerman of the Weavers.
McLean recorded Tapestry in 1969 in Berkeley, California during the student riots. After being rejected 72 times by labels, the album was released by Mediarts, a label that had not existed when he first started to look for a label. He worked on the album for a couple of years before putting it out. It attracted good reviews but little notice outside the folk community, though on the Easy Listening chart "Castles in the Air" was a success, and in 1973 "And I Love You So" became a number 1 Adult Contemporary hit for Perry Como.
McLean's major break came when Mediarts was taken over by United Artists Records, thus securing the promotion of a major label for his second album, American Pie. The album launched two number one hits in the title song and "Vincent". American Pie's success made McLean an international star and piqued interest in his first album, which charted more than two years after its initial release.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In January 2018, BMI certified that "American Pie" and "Vincent" had reached five million and three million airplays respectively.
His composition "And I Love You So" has been sung by Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Helen Reddy, Glen Campbell, and others, and in 2000, Madonna had a hit with a rendition of "American Pie". His other hit singles include "Vincent" (US #12, UK #1 in 1972), "Dreidel" (US #21 in 1972), a rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying" (US #5, UK #1 in 1980), a rendition of the Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You" (US #23 in 1980), and "Wonderful Baby" (US AC #1 in 1975).
Can't Blame the Wreck
Don McLean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I called her to say
Please baby won’t you come home tonight
I can’t even trust my brain to get
My heart in from the rain
I know that girl’s a hurricane
In her own right
Then early this mornin’ after she was goin’
I sat there in my chair all alone
Well I called my friend cryin’
And asked him why
That girl was always doing me so wrong
He said: "When the gates are all
Down and the signals are flashin’
The whistle is screamin’ in vain
And you stay on the tracks
Ignoring the facts
Well, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
No, you can’t blame the wreck on the train"
Well, how many times have I promised myself
Not to do the same thing as before
I swear I will leave it alone and believe it
Then I’ll turn around and do it some more
Oh, fool me one time and it’s shame on you
Fool me twice and it’s shame on me
That’s what my best friend warned me
When I called him this mornin’
Then he reminded me
He said: "When the gates are all
The whistle is screamin’ in vain
And you stay on the tracks
Ignoring the facts
Well, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
No, you can’t blame the wreck on the train"
He said: "When the gates are all
Down and the signals are flashin’
And the whistle is screamin’ in vain
And you stay on the tracks
Ignoring the facts
Well, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
No, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
Man, you gotta quit blamin’ the train"
In "Can't Blame the Wreck," Don McLean explores the cyclical nature of a toxic relationship and the tendency to repeat the same mistakes. The singer finds himself caught in a destructive pattern with a woman who he acknowledges has the power to wreak havoc on his life. Despite understanding the storm that she brings, he still reaches out to her, hoping she will return. However, he is aware that he cannot rely on his own judgment to protect his heart, as his emotions often cloud his rationality.
After she leaves, the singer seeks solace in a friend, desperately seeking an explanation for why he keeps getting hurt by the same person. His friend's response acts as a metaphorical warning, comparing their relationship to a train wreck. The gates are down, the signals are flashing, and the whistle is screaming, indicating the imminent danger ahead. Yet, despite being aware of these clear signs, the singer stubbornly remains on the tracks, ignoring the facts and setting himself up for another disastrous outcome.
The lyrics also reflect the remorse and self-awareness of the singer. Despite numerous promises to himself that he will break free from this destructive cycle, he finds himself repeatedly falling into the same trap. He acknowledges his weakness in using the excuse of being fooled by his partner, blaming her initially. However, his best friend cautions him that it is not solely her fault, but his own responsibility to break free from this cycle of pain.
Through the repetition of the phrase, "you can't blame the wreck on the train," McLean emphasizes the importance of personal accountability. The train becomes a metaphor for the destructive relationship, and the wreck symbolizes the inevitable outcome of staying on that path. The singer is urged to stop blaming external factors and take responsibility for his own choices. The song serves as a reminder to break free from toxic patterns, resist the temptation to repeat past mistakes, and instead embrace personal growth and change.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I got crazy yesterday and
I lost control of myself yesterday and
I called her to say
I contacted her to communicate
Please baby won’t you come home tonight
I pleaded for her to return home
I can’t even trust my brain to get
I can't rely on my mind to bring
My heart in from the rain
My emotions protected from the storm
I know that girl’s a hurricane
I am aware that she is a destructive force
In her own right
In her own unique way
Then early this mornin’ after she was goin’
Then, this morning after she left
I sat there in my chair all alone
I remained seated in solitude
Well I called my friend cryin’
I dialed my friend in tears
And asked him why
And inquired about the reason
That girl was always doing me so wrong
That girl consistently mistreated me
He said: "When the gates are all
He explained: 'When all the barriers are
Down and the signals are flashin’
Lowered and the signs are flashing
The whistle is screamin’ in vain
The whistle is futilely screaming
And you stay on the tracks
And you remain on the predetermined path
Ignoring the facts
Disregarding the truth
Well, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
You cannot hold the train responsible for the disaster
No, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
No, it is unjust to attribute the wreckage to the train
Well, how many times have I promised myself
How frequently have I made vows to myself
Not to do the same thing as before
To refrain from repeating past actions
I swear I will leave it alone and believe it
I swear I will abandon it and believe it
Then I’ll turn around and do it some more
Then I will unexpectedly repeat the behavior
Oh, fool me one time and it’s shame on you
Being deceived once puts the blame on you
Fool me twice and it’s shame on me
Being deceived twice puts the blame on me
That’s what my best friend warned me
That is the advice given by my closest friend
When I called him this mornin’
When I phoned him earlier today
Then he reminded me
Then he brought back to my attention
He said: "When the gates are all
He said: 'When all the barriers are
Down and the signals are flashin’
Lowered and the signs are flashing
And the whistle is screamin’ in vain
And the whistle is futilely screaming
And you stay on the tracks
And you remain on the predetermined path
Ignoring the facts
Disregarding the truth
Well, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
You cannot hold the train responsible for the disaster
No, you can’t blame the wreck on the train
No, it is unjust to attribute the wreckage to the train
Man, you gotta quit blamin’ the train
Man, you must stop assigning blame to the train
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Goddess
on The More You Pay
No. As The Auctioneer explains "what we don't sell we shoot or give away - cuz the more you pay, the more it's worth" so the horse is given to the persona/narrator rather than shooting it to death. The Gallery goes wild in celebration that the horse will go to someone instead of being killed.
Joe Boxer
on Vincent
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dcWFYtG8RFM