Don McLean on what his Scottish father taught him

“Well, I guess you could say this album is really a story about dreaming. It’s about youth and romance,” he says in his American drawl. “You know, I think that romance is one of the things we’ve lost today. People are so technologically minded, they forget about the beauty around them. They believe in sex rather than romance and don’t understand the best part of life is its poetry. We ignore the lovely and focus on ugly aspects like crime and violence. I like to think this album is one of the prettier things.”

American Pie is one of those rare classics that transcend the barriers of time and strike a chord with all generations. But at 8min.33 seconds long, would it be as successful today, when attention spans are reputedly shorter?

“Oh, I don’t know,” he takes a moment to reflect. “It’s impossible to say because all songs are unique. You put them out there and they take on a life of their own, you never know what’ll happen. But it certainly is a different world now. Back in the fifties and sixties, when I was growing up, life was much quieter. There were less cars and not everyone had a phone or a television. If people wanted to watch something on the TV, they’d go round to someone who owned a set and watch it there. Even in our house, there’s wasn’t a lot of dialogue. People didn’t need a lot of entertainment. It meant we had to time to think. Now, it’s constant mayhem and noise. Everyone is chasing useless information, there’s no space in the day to just sit and be quiet so it’s bound impact the way we write and listen to music.”

Regardless of time or trends, is there a basic recipe for a good song?

“Well, firstly you need a strong melody, that’s the most important thing. Then you’ll have to have a good chorus that captures what you want to say. Next come the lyrics that tell the story.” He pauses before adding. “And you’ll also need a lot of luck!”

Looking back to the days when, as a sickly youngster he was stuck at home in New York state with nothing to do but listen to records, did he ever dream he’d be so famous?

“No!” he chortles. “When I got my guitar, I had it in my mind that I could write some songs. Yet I never really thought that much of myself. Like my father who was quite a humble man, I’m not an egotistical guy. My goal was to get on stage as an opening act and I knew that if I could do that well, I’d make an impact. You know, people would realise I was there. I never imagined anything more.”

Whatever he might have lacked in confidence, the young McLean more than made up for with tenacity. He was determined to overcome all obstacles, that stood in his way, beginning with his father’s negative attitude.

“My father’s roots were in Scotland, which is no doubt why I love performing in that part of the world. He was a hard-working, down to earth man with a good sense of business. We weren’t rich but he knew the value of a good location and bought a small house in a wealthy neighbourhood.

"Yet he didn’t share my passion for music. To him, it was just a distraction. He certainly didn’t see music as a good career move. He wanted me to work in an office. Of course, I had other ideas.”

His dad passed away when Don was 15 years old but in the week before he died, he opened up to his son.

“Dad called me in to his room and told me a lot about his life. It was not a pretty story.” As the seconds tick by, it’s clear he isn’t going to elaborate.

“You know I was thinking about an incident that, whenever I look back, makes me smile,” he says, still in nostalgic mood. “I’ve never told it to anyone but in the week before he died, dad started calling me in and giving me a dollar every morning before I went to school. This was so out of character because I could hardly get him to pay me a quarter for doing my chores! In the end, I said to him, ‘hey dad why are you giving me a dollar every day, is there something seriously wrong with you?”

He gives a small chuckle at how, in his teenage naivety, he’d inadvertently hit the nail firmly on the head.

No doubt, Mr McLean senior would have been proud of his son’s achievements. As well as a litany of awards, his songs have entertained and inspired audiences around the world. In the year, 2000 American Pie was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame, while two years later, the McLean name took its place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The singer even attended night school and added a degree in business to his CV. McLean attributes his creativity to his mother’s Italian genes. However, there’s ample evidence, to suggest his DNA holds more than a trace of Scottish canniness. His decision to auction the original manuscript of American Pie in 2015, earned him a cool $1.5 million.

Now at an age when most people are thinking of putting their feet up, the 72-year-old is still running around, chasing his dreams. And, it seems, chasing love – with reports he has begun a relationship with his former social media manager Paris Dylan, 24, two years after his marriage to Patrisha collapsed.

Where does he get the energy?

"I don't know." He gives a hearty laugh. “When I was younger, I drunk and smoked and generally beat the crap out of myself, yet I still kept bouncing back! I haven’t smoked in over 30 years but apart from that, I don’t follow any particular routine. Although, my weight has been creeping up lately and I’d like to get it down. I had it going real good a few years back but then, I don’t know how, I just kind of rolled off the log.” ”

The word ‘retirement’ doesn’t seem to be in McLean’s vocabulary. Perhaps, for artists like him, the music never really dies.

Don McLean will be in Glasgow on May 15 and Edinburgh on May 16