Don McLean Quotes
Basically, in 'American Pie,' things are heading in the wrong direction. It is becoming less ideal, less idyllic. I don't know whether you consider that wrong or right, but it is a morality song in a sense.
Howard, Alan. The Don McLean Story: Killing Us Softly with His Songs. Lulu Press, 2007.
The work was never completed but was published posthumously.
The English were at War with Napoleon and Denmark was neutral. British leaders feared that Denmark might either ally themselves with Napoleon or provide him with ships from their well equipped fleet. The English decided on a preemptive attack on Denmark and military forces were ordered to Denmark. When they arrived, they were ordered to bombard Copenhagen and force the Danes to surrender. When this happened, the British seized the Danish ships and simply took them as war prizes. The issues of the morality and wisdom of preemptive attacks, as with the Americans in the Iraq war, was thoroughly debated but the government view prevailed to the shame of most Englishmen. Addington was not PM at the time but a backbencher in Parliament.
Russia has a vast border common with China and there has always been much trade and intercourse between the cultures. The Chinese were in many ways much more sophisticated than the Russians who were feudal for many years, The formality and structure of the bribery system was astounding to the Russians. Ironically, the Russians learned very well and corruption and bribery is commonplace in Russia and is tolerated by the government and the culture. In China however, the modern government, with full knowledge of the incredible tradition and history of Chinese bribery and corruption, is draconian when officials are caught. The death penalty is commonly meted out rapidly to Chinese officials accepting bribes and to those who did the bribing. With the rapid economic growth of China, there is worry that some of the old ways will return/
Donald McLean III is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1971 hit song "American Pie", an 8.5-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation.
