Which is only one reason why Don McLean’s “American Pie” remains such a remarkable song.
Which is no small feat: there are so many disparate aspects to songwriting one must master before gaining the knowhow, power and ability to write any song well, so it makes perfect sense.Įven those undisputed geniuses of song, from Gershwin, Stephen Foster, Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams to Dylan and The Beatles, Paul Simon and beyond, all had to master the form itself before doing their greatest work. Mostly the mission becomes about working within the form, and the challenge of discovering something new within this limited space. Stretching the form itself – that is something rarely tried mostly. They’re busy enough just trying to write a good song. Most songwriters don’t try to do anything new.
