# McLean's Bake Sale

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 14, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677 "2000-02-14T19:31:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677/1 "2000-02-15T06:12:00Z")

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I don’t get it! McLean has kept his “American Pie” song sacred for decades, and he even refused to give explanatary comments to our dear Uncle Cecil! Can you imagine!

## So, why would he sell out to Madonna now? Obviously, it’s the money. And, since he has sold out…isn’t it time for McLean to come “Clean” about what “American Pie” means to him? {with reference to [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_398b.html}](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_398b.html%7D)

“Took my profits from the coffers, now my coffers are dry…”

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**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677/2 "2000-02-14T19:31:00Z")

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Sold Out? Did I miss something & he told Madonna what he meant? Or are you referring to the fact that she did the cover?

If the latter, not like he had a real choice in the matter.  
Please check this classic SD for an explanation about how Mr. McLean couldn’t stop her if he wanted to, which hopefully he would have, not that it matters:  
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_324b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_324b.html)

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**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677/3 "2000-02-14T20:31:00Z")

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Apologies for the tone of the above. On re-reading, it is far more vicious than intended. The intention was light sarcastic wit, rather than the lead footed flame that it clearly reads as.

Deathawk now takes a nap while repeating the mantra, “remember there are no tonal cues, remember there are no tonal cues…”

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677/4 "2000-02-15T16:08:00Z")

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Deathhawk, I agree my OP was a little ambiguous. But, thanks for the details, although all the legal mumbo-jumbo is beyond me. It sounds like anyone can copy anything and get away with it…so then maybe George Harrison did nothing wrong, afterall?

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**Author:** ![frolix8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@frolix8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frolix8)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcleans-bake-sale/677/5 "2000-02-15T16:25:00Z")

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The difference being that McLean gets paid for every copy M. sells. M. is not saying she wrote the song, she is just “perfoming” it.