纽约民谣摇滚歌手、美国精神永恒代表 Don Mclean 最有名的两首歌，一首是被视为美国传统精神精髓的“American Pie”，另一首则是纪念发疯自杀的天才画家凡高的“Vincent”。流行天后麦当娜在2000年曾为电影“喜事临门”翻唱了他的“American Pie”，这个将八分多钟的原曲浓缩再加以电子混音的版本，在三十多年后让许多年轻人重新认识了这首歌；也许许多人对Don Mclean的敬意始自他第一首在排行榜上夺冠的单曲American Pie。而更多的中国听众则是因为那首堪称世纪绝唱的Vincent(Starry Starry Night)，触动了人们心灵深处对凄美最完美的渴望。虽然在乐坛上的时间并不长，也没有缔造多首畅销单曲，但他的确是一名非常优秀的歌手，这点从Eric Clapton曾在听过Mclean弹吉他后形容他为「技艺精湛者」；及1973年由Roberta Flack演唱的Killing Me Softly With His Song,这首歌的灵感来自作者Lori Lleberman、Charles Glmble和Norman Fox看到Mclean在洛杉矶Troubadour演唱后的感受，这两个小故事就可以印证。而他所建立的知名度，也是大多数与他同时期的歌手所望尘莫及的。
American Pie
A long long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while.
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
So bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the Book of Love?
And do you have faith in God above?
If the Bible tells you so
And do you believe in rock 'n roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin' bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the King and Queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh, and while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lennon read a book of Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singing bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Helter Skelter in a summer swelter
The Byrds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul out on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the Sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died
We started singing bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation Lost in Space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
They were singing bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee But the levee was dry
Them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
发表于 2007-11-12 11:11:28
