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It fell short of the $2 million record set last year for Bob
Dylan's hand-written lyrics for "Like A Rolling Stone."
Tom Lecky, head of the books and manuscripts department at
Christie's, said the price was a fitting tribute to one of the
foremost singer/songwriters of his generation.
"The result is a testament to the creative genius of Don McLean
and to the song's ability to still engage and inspire," he said
in a statement.
McLean's hand-written and typed drafts include notes and
deletions, giving clues to the meaning of the eight-minute song
that has had countless interpretations since it was released in
1971.
"The writing and the lyrics will divulge everything there is to
divulge," McLean, 69, said in an interview ahead of the sale.
"You'll see what I am thinking about. It is a piece of a dream
that I am trying to capture."
McLean was a struggling songwriter when he wrote the song in
Cold Spring, N.Y. and Philadelphia. Its six verses reflect the
social upheavals that were occurring in the United States in the
1960s and early '70s.
"The death of Buddy Holly was the beginning of the song," McLean
said. "That's what came to me. I loved Buddy Holly and that is
very autobiographical, the first part of the song."
The lyrics "the day the music died" in "American Pie" refer to
the 1959 plane crash that killed Holly, along with fellow rock
'n roll singers Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as
"The Big Bopper."
Francis Wahlgren, the international director of printed books
and manuscripts at Christie's, said the song captured the
essence of a period in American history.
"There is a hint of optimism, although it is about the crash of
Buddy Holly, I do think there is a very optimistic message
coming through because of the beauty of the song," he said ahead
of the sale. "There are many different things going on in the
song and it takes you on a little journey."
"American Pie" was named a Song of the Century by the Recording
Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for
the Arts.
(Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Dan Grebler)
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