ME AND DON MCLEAN

Being a slow starter, I only recently discovered him. It all started about 2 years ago, when I kept hearing Vincent on late night radio and decided that I had to that song. I rolled along to my local music store and asked the guy if he had Starry Starry Night. He had no idea what I was talking about, so I called Teadrinker and asked her if she knew the song and she yelled at me, "Don McLean and it's called Vincent you ignorant Yank" Well, the music guy knew that one, so I bought the CD and went home to listen. That was the end of me. Of course I'd heard American Pie back in the day, but Castles in the Air was a new one to me. So were most of the others. When I finally got the Citroen and was looking for a 'Driving Record' That CD became the ONE. In fact, the disc was the only thing I took out of the wreck after it was totaled,(the Citruin) other than the wheely and wheely parking card! It moved into the Land Rover CD player the day I bought it, and went with me to America where it soothed me many times on the Drive from Maine to Florida and in Nevada, and Washington. There isn't a song on that CD that doesn't talk to me. I mentioned it one day to my brother and he told me that Don McLean lives in Maine now. Of course he does. And that explains Castles in the Air to me. I don't know what it meant to him when he wrote it, but when I hear it, it's about moving from a big city to the country (Maine for him) and from Nazareth to Kiryat Shmonah for me. I left Nazareth just before it doubled in size for Kiryat Shmonah which is still a small town and as close to Brunswick Maine as can be found in Israel. Orna even knows most of the words to the songs and the whole Don McLean story has become a legend in town. I even go places alone so that I can sing along with the CD and cause anyone distress. Of course I play it at full volume so even *I* won't be able to hear myself. Ely, my computer guy was over one day last week to sort something and I told him that I have song he must hear, and brought Jerusalem up. I only found that one last week. Ely asked who it was and when I told him he got all excited and told me that he has all his albums. The first time I heard Jerusalem I couldn't stop crying. Roberta Flack time? Oh yes. I got the wild idea that I'd be able to desensitize myself to that song by listening to it non stop. It's not working so that is one song of his that will not be heard in the jeep. Driving while crying is not something I want to do in this country. Driving while sober and wide awake in Israel is scary enough without adding tears to the mix. The CD I have in the player now is just fine. It's starting to sound a bit worn out and I'm concerned the old one has been in there for so long that it won't come out when I try to replace it with a new one. There are a lot of singers and music that I like, but, Don McLean just gets under my skin and into my soul. There's a plan forming in my mind to go to Cardiff for a concert he's giving there. I've been feeling Wales pulling me there for a few weeks now, so this could be good.
I don't usually watch Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but left it on in the background and one of the questions was "Who was Roberta Flacks' song about"? a) Don McLean, b) Frank Sinatra, c)Neil Diamond, or d) I can't remember and don't care. Of course the guy got it wrong after using 3 of his help things. I just sat there and laughed! What I can't figure out is why it took me long to fall for his songs. Ah, but better late than never. At least now I have music that keeps me on an even keel.
Thank you, Don McClean.