Editing American Pie (song) (section)

==Parodies, revisions, and uses==
In 1999, [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] wrote and recorded a parody of "American Pie". Titled "[[The Saga Begins]]", the song recounts the plot of ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'' from [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]]'s point of view. While McLean gave permission for the parody, he did not make a cameo appearance in its video, despite popular rumor. McLean himself praised the parody, even admitting to almost singing Yankovic's lyrics during his own live performances because his children played the song so often.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0999|title="Ask Al" Q&As for September, 1999|access-date=October 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902121655/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0999|archive-date=September 2, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/weirdal.asp|title=Jedi Council – Interviews Weird Al Yankovic|website=TheForce.Net|date=September 14, 1980|access-date=May 20, 2010|archive-date=October 22, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022180839/http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/weirdal.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> An unrelated [[American Pie (film series)|comedy film franchise]] by [[Universal Pictures]], who secured the rights to McLean's title, also debuted in 1999.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uETdAwAAQBAJ|title=Jason Biggs: Hollywood's Newest Cutie-Pie!|last=Parish|first=James Robert|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|date=June 2000|access-date=September 3, 2021|pages=3, 5, 126|isbn=0-312-97622-4}}</ref>

"American Pie" was the last song to be played on Virgin Radio before it was rebranded as [[Absolute Radio]] in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mixcloud.com/andy-walmsley2/christian-oconnell-29-september-2008/|title=Mixcloud|website=Mixcloud|access-date=July 10, 2021|archive-date=July 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710112434/https://www.mixcloud.com/andy-walmsley2/christian-oconnell-29-september-2008/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also the last song played on [[British Forces Broadcasting Service|BFBS Malta]] in 1979.

[[Jeremy Renner]] sings an [[a cappella]] version in the 2006 movie ''[[Love Comes to the Executioner]]'', as his character walks to the execution chamber.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383478/ | title=Love Comes to the Executioner | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>

In 2012, the [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|City of Grand Rapids]], Michigan, created a [[lip dub]] video to "American Pie" in response to a ''Newsweek'' article that stated the city was "dying".<ref>{{cite news|title=The Grand Rapids Lip Dub|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/01/136816940/the-grand-rapids-lip-dub-a-giant-street-party-set-to-music|website=NPR|access-date=October 29, 2012|archive-date=January 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131043731/http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/01/136816940/the-grand-rapids-lip-dub-a-giant-street-party-set-to-music|url-status=live}}</ref> (Due to licensing issues, the version used in the video was not the original, but rather a later-recorded live version.) The video was hailed as a fantastic performance by many, including film critic [[Roger Ebert]], who said it was "the greatest music video ever made".<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=The greatest music video ever made|url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/music/the-greatest-music-video-ever.html|work=Chicago Sun-Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902025848/http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/music/the-greatest-music-video-ever.html|archive-date=September 2, 2011}}</ref>

On March 21, 2013, [[Harmonix]] announced that "American Pie" would be the final [[downloadable content|downloadable]] track made available for the ''[[Rock Band]]'' series of music video games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/21/4134170/rock-bands-final-dlc-will-be-don-mcleans-american-pie|title=Rock Band's final song will be Don McLean's 'American Pie'|website=Polygon|date=March 21, 2013|access-date=April 1, 2014|archive-date=January 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113014000/http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/21/4134170/rock-bands-final-dlc-will-be-don-mcleans-american-pie|url-status=live}}</ref> This was the case until ''[[Rock Band 4]]'' was released on October 6, 2015, reviving the series' weekly releases of DLC.

On March 14, 2015, the [[National Museum of Mathematics]] announced that one of two winners of its songwriting contest was "American Pi" by mathematics education professor Dr. Lawrence M. Lesser.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://momath.org/home/2015-pi-day-winners/|title=2015 Pi Day Contest Winners|publisher=[[National Museum of Mathematics]]|access-date=April 8, 2015|archive-date=April 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407093729/http://momath.org/home/2015-pi-day-winners/|url-status=live}}</ref> The contest was in honor of "Pi Day of the Century" because "3/14/15" would be the only day in the 21st-century showing the first five digits of <big>π</big> ([[pi]]).

On April 20, 2015, [[John Mayer]] covered "American Pie" live on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', at the request of the show's [[David Letterman|eponymous host]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/550559/john-mayer-covers-american-pie-david-letterman|title=John Mayer covers 'American Pie' for David Letterman|date=April 20, 2015|website=theweek.com|access-date=February 4, 2020|archive-date=February 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204054720/https://theweek.com/speedreads/550559/john-mayer-covers-american-pie-david-letterman|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 29, 2021, McLean released a re-recording of "American Pie" featuring lead vocals by country a cappella group [[Home Free (group)|Home Free]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2021/1/29/don-mclean-releases-new-a-cappella-version-of-american-pie-f.html|title=Don McLean releases new a cappella version of "American Pie" featuring country vocal group Home Free|date=January 29, 2021|website=abcnewsradioonline.com|access-date=February 1, 2021|archive-date=January 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131115500/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2021/1/29/don-mclean-releases-new-a-cappella-version-of-american-pie-f.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The song was featured in [[Marvel Entertainment|Marvel]]'s ''[[Black Widow (2021 film)|Black Widow]]'' movie in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/david-harbour-says-idea-song-120100182.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGWc6f_ZNcE7H-ksiYb4VYTbvnbOG8sMeur0KWGBdoKHlSv0IyzmPjGGElegAH0iHs8v3yejMIQGl9TPw3CZOuuwbdOqMUD74LtvMvEOQeryFYJJnFPX_vUaTr9mwJF2xX8ioDV8lChXPCfZAPE0lAANgRiqgKtEYFAXHzVDeYJQ|title=David Harbour says it was his idea to use the song 'American Pie' in 'Black Widow' because his big scene with Florence Pugh needed to be 'more profound'|date=July 10, 2021|website=news.yahoo.com|access-date=July 14, 2021|archive-date=July 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714211452/https://news.yahoo.com/david-harbour-says-idea-song-120100182.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGWc6f_ZNcE7H-ksiYb4VYTbvnbOG8sMeur0KWGBdoKHlSv0IyzmPjGGElegAH0iHs8v3yejMIQGl9TPw3CZOuuwbdOqMUD74LtvMvEOQeryFYJJnFPX_vUaTr9mwJF2xX8ioDV8lChXPCfZAPE0lAANgRiqgKtEYFAXHzVDeYJQ|url-status=live}}</ref> It is the favorite song of the character [[Yelena Belova]], and sung by [[Red Guardian]] later in the film to comfort her.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 12, 2021|title=David Harbour Explains the Significance of American Pie in Black Widow|url=https://screenrant.com/black-widow-american-pie-scene-david-harbour-response/|access-date=August 5, 2021|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US|archive-date=August 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805050302/https://screenrant.com/black-widow-american-pie-scene-david-harbour-response/|url-status=live}}</ref>

"American Pie" is also featured in the 2021 Tom Hanks movie ''[[Finch (film)|Finch]]''.<ref>{{cite web | last=Anderson | first=John | title='Finch' Review: Man's Best Friends | website=WSJ | date=November 3, 2021 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/finch-tom-hanks-apple-tv-miguel-sapochnik-american-pie-11635886875 | access-date=November 6, 2021 | archive-date=November 5, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105192814/https://www.wsj.com/articles/finch-tom-hanks-apple-tv-miguel-sapochnik-american-pie-11635886875 | url-status=live }}</ref>

During his visit to the United States in 2023, South Korean President [[Yoon Suk-yeol]] sang this song at a [[State banquet|state dinner]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://news.yahoo.com/had-no-damn-idea-could-050335438.html|title= 'I had no damn idea you could sing': Yoon's 'American Pie' stuns Biden|date= April 27, 2023|work= AFP|access-date= April 27, 2023|archive-date= April 27, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230427092230/https://news.yahoo.com/had-no-damn-idea-could-050335438.html|url-status= live}}</ref> This attracted worldwide attention, as well as the attention of Don McLean.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/27/asia/don-mclean-american-pie-yoon-biden-intl-hnk/index.html|title= Don McLean offers duet with South Korean president who sang'American Pie'to Biden|date= April 27, 2023|work= CNN|access-date= April 29, 2023|archive-date= April 29, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230429074055/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/27/asia/don-mclean-american-pie-yoon-biden-intl-hnk/index.html|url-status= live}}</ref>