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).
aftermath
Don McLean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Angles and dimensions melt while colors drip and pillows crack
Reflections of my memories like pictures pasted on a sheet
The ribbon film of separate frames lying curled up at my feet
The film is just a snake design and the photographs are fading fast
These are not memories of mine I have no future, no past
Like sugar crystals on a spoon they disappear from sight
Gray days from the crispest morning to the warmest afternoon in this room
And I like to draw the face I saw so long ago
My image in the mirror tells the jagged lines which way to go
The black and white description of the sole survivor of the Holocaust
All the rest were lost
Do you see this paper face? It has no color or no mood
My eyes are ageless, as am I. I need no sleep, I need no food
I am a king, but like a child the other children laugh at me
Tongues of fire, wagging wild they dance around me merrily
I'll kill them all and if I fail I'll kill whoever I can find
Then they'll beg me to be kind
My eyes have seen far more than eyes can ever tell
This planet plunged through mushroom fires of earthly hell
I know that my sweet Jesus said that he'd return
But Babylon has fallen and the cities burn
The lyrics of Don McLean's song "Aftermath" are a blend of poignant imagery that touches on themes of memory loss, despair, and existential questions. The opening lines depict a silent room where sunlight burns the walls black, making way for a surreal landscape that blends angles and dimensions while the colors drip, and pillows crack. The following lines reflect on the memories of some past that seems to have lost its significance. The imagery of a ribbon film of separate frames lying curled up at the feet of the singer sheds light on the fragmentation of his past experiences.
As the song progresses, the singer reminisces about the thousand afternoons he has seen dissolve into nights like sugar crystals on a spoon that disappear from sight. He recollects the gray and dull days that go by in the room, where he draws the face he saw so long ago. The lyrics take a darker turn when the singer talks about being the sole survivor of the Holocaust, and all the rest were lost. He wonders if anyone sees his paper face without any color or mood, reflecting on his suffering and loneliness.
The lyrics paint a picture of a mentally disturbed individual who is plotting revenge against those who mock and taunt him, despite being a king. He decides to take revenge by killing them all and anyone he can find, and claims that they will beg him to show mercy. The lyrics depict the aftermath of a world destroyed by war and nuclear holocaust, leaving behind the singer and the memories he carries.
Line by Line Meaning
Windows in a silent room, sunlight burns the walls to black
The emptiness of the room and the strong light coming in through the windows create a surreal and eerie atmosphere.
Angles and dimensions melt while colors drip and pillows crack
The room seems to distort and fall apart, and even the small details of pillows breaking down contribute to the sense of decay.
Reflections of my memories like pictures pasted on a sheet
The memories are blurred and fragmented, like a scrapbook that's been hastily pieced together.
The ribbon film of separate frames lying curled up at my feet
The fragmented memories are now jumbled and unorganised, a mess of disordered recollections.
The film is just a snake design and the photographs are fading fast
The memories are becoming harder and harder to recall, and are starting to blur together into a meaningless jumble.
These are not memories of mine I have no future, no past
The memories don't seem to belong to Don McLean, and given their disorderly nature, they don't seem connected to a clear timeline or a sense of personal history.
I've seen a thousand afternoons dissolve into the night
The days blur together until they seem indistinguishable, and nighttime serves as a final erasure of the distinction between one day and the next.
Like sugar crystals on a spoon they disappear from sight
The days vanish quickly and without a trace, like sugar being consumed and dissolving away quickly.
Gray days from the crispest morning to the warmest afternoon in this room
Whether it's a beautiful morning or a pleasant afternoon, the room feels colorless and monotonous, never quite feeling vibrant or lively.
And I like to draw the face I saw so long ago
Don McLean enjoys trying to remember long-gone moments by making sketches or illustrations of the things that he saw or experienced.
My image in the mirror tells the jagged lines which way to go
The image that Don sees of himself in the mirror is a harsh, jagged one, and it appears to guide his decisions and actions in life.
The black and white description of the sole survivor of the Holocaust
The harsh image that Don sees often seems to resemble the somber, serious descriptions given of survivors of events like the Holocaust.
All the rest were lost
While Don may have survived, he is surrounded by the memories of those who didn't and feels the weight of their absence.
Do you see this paper face? It has no color or no mood
Don is trying to present an image that's simple and plain, devoid of emotion or complexity.
My eyes are ageless, as am I. I need no sleep, I need no food
The image Don presents is almost mechanical, a creature neither living nor dead, hovering in between both categories.
I am a king, but like a child the other children laugh at me
Don sees himself as a figure of authority or power, but in reality he feels weak and vulnerable.
Tongues of fire, wagging wild they dance around me merrily
Other people's laughter, actions, and words can feel like a flurry of chaotic and uncontrolled energy to Don.
I'll kill them all and if I fail I'll kill whoever I can find
Don sometimes feels overwhelmed and aggressive in the face of chaos, lashing out violently at those he perceives as threatening his sense of control.
Then they'll beg me to be kind
Don believes that if others truly understood his power and influence, they would try to appease him and keep him on their side.
My eyes have seen far more than eyes can ever tell
Don has experienced intense things that are difficult to explain, process, or share with others.
This planet plunged through mushroom fires of earthly hell
The crises and traumas that Don has experienced feel like they've burned away the stable foundations of the world and created a kind of hellish situation.
I know that my sweet Jesus said that he'd return
Don has a deep faith that there is a divine force out there, that it is kind and compassionate, and that it is informed by a sense of order and a tight sense of purpose.
But Babylon has fallen and the cities burn
Despite his faith, Don is often struck by the reality that the world can be harsh and unforgiving, and that some of the grand dreams and plans of humanity will ultimately come to nothing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON MCLEAN
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