McLean, Don - The Pride Parade Lyrics

And yet people will say this guy has only two hits in his career?

Based on the lyrics in the rest of the song (don't get me wrong, this IS one of Don's best written and sung performances, and certainly among his most moving), one question keeps coming to my mind every time I hear the chorus: What friends?

The first time I listened to this song was when I was 18 yrs old. Now I'm 21 and it still hurts a lot.

Beautiful and emostional song!!!

Won't begin....to tell you the levels your music has touched.....wont tell you this song is short of majestic....only because my 'selfish', would listen till this piper mclean awakens the sleepers!! Eternal Hope.

Yes, I am a nobody. Thanks, Don Mclean for figuring it out 47 years ago. Only if I was born then, well, even so I would've been destined to be dead in a gutter somewhere whilst having achieved nothing significant. I have loved and lost - that's about it.

Then this isn't about you. This song is about a nobody who is deluded into thinking he's a somebody.

It's quite heartening to see people commenting on this in 2019. Don is such an obscure singer to the general public and this album is so hard to come by, it's nice to see he's still got fans.

Oh Silence, FFS?? Don may be obscure to folks who have just found him, but to people all around the world like me, who discovered him in the early 70s..NOPE.. Tapestry is actually his debut album from Oct 1970 an Amer Pie from late 71,, Like pls listen to the lyrics of "tapestry" th title track and take in the early conservation pioneer, of this one of a kind poet. "Castles in the air" was a big hit back then, "Magdalene Lane" and his take on ladies of the night and an anonymous traveller. Then there was the epic "3 flights up" about a lonely father and a lost daughter?? STEP OFF THE PLATFORM AND ONTO THE TRAIN, LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW AND INTO THE RAIN, WATCH ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT PASS AS YOU RIDE AND COUNT ALL THE STORIES THAT GO ON INSIDE AND THEN ASK YOURSELF, IF IT MUST BE THIS WAY ?? SHOULD WALLS AND DOORS AND PLASTER CEILINGS, SEPARATE US FROM EACH OTHERS FEELINGS?? I did that from memory, so pls excuse me if the lyric is wrong. Don still performs worldwide and comes to Australia on a regular basis..

I agree with op. Being a 20 year old myself, when I tell people that my favorite all-time musician is Don McLean, I often get blank stairs in response, or the occasional 'He's the American Pie guy, right?' And that's from all age's, not just twenty-somethings.
To those who found him when his hits were radio station staples, he may not seem obscure. But unfortunately, the greater public historically has passed Don by. Which is a shame.
It is still comforting to catch comments or replies on Don's songs in current year.

@Woofers against violence, I’ve spoken to a fair number of people online who only know him for American Pie and Vincent. Certainly songs like And I Love You So were popularised by other singers such as Perry Como. I remember speaking to an old boss of mine who thought that that song actually was by Perry Como. This lady, by the way, was in her 70s at the time.

By ‘obscure’ I don’t mean that he was some unknown Nick Drake or Jackson C. Frank type who never made it big until he vanished off the face of the earth. I’m well aware that he’s still touring and performing. But he’s hardly a household name, no? Pick anyone off the street and ask them to name 10 McLean songs (without googling it) and they’d be hard put to it. Most of those would probably be from AP and Tapestry. Ask them to name three songs from his s/t and they’d struggle even more.

I believe Magdalene Lane was also, partly, about the excesses and commercialism of Hollywood (“MGM studios can’t find the nut/they’re auctioning Dorothy’s shoes” etc.)

Most people can name songs by Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, and other popular contemporaries of Don’s with relative ease.

That is when you die with pride ...Going six feet under the ground..people friendly faces gathered ..Me ....

Back when pride and parade would gon on the same line without causing political debates...no, wait.

True, but they were just a few years ahead.

"You stand in all your glory and you know you can't complain" is such a brutal line.

I remember these words after 30 years...my daughter him in Hawaii last night

I've never heard a song that describes Hillary Clinton in such a true way.

SORRY ABE, This is about my fat trouble makin Ex. lol

"For you have lost the chance to mingle, by your constant quiet LIES. Deceptions hidden with your lips , but spoken with your eyes". Truly quintessential Don McL lyrics. So insightful and so intriguing. My fave musical poet.

This song of Don McLean's appears to describe
an individual with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It is, however, a beautiful song.

Don McLean is one of the great lyricists of the modern era.

I'd hardly call him modern, but he is good, isn't he?

I LOVE THIS AND THESE WORDS

What is the true self? You are the only one who knows.

I think you're the last to know, and that my friend is the judgment when all the delusions are stripped away and you see what you really are. Probably not a pretty sight for most of us.

Isn't Don just one of the greatest?!

I dedicate this song to ALL Politicians who have destroyed this country.. AMERICA NEEDS TO GET RID OF THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM..

"It started out quite simply as complex things can do" :)

Many of you are thinking about Hillary, etc. I'm a liberal but when I hear this song, I think of Don McLean. Have you hear his song, The Three of Us? Heartfelt and it's about his life and his parents.

One of the best of his songs!!!

So poignant in retrospect.

I first heard this when I was twelve and loved it instantly, even though unsure of some of the nuances of meaning. It's wonderful to hear it again in my 50s (I lost the album when moving house about 26). I still find it deeply moving; melancholy but not self pitying. Utterly beautiful.

I first heard it when I was fourteen, fifteen and loves in instantly .... . I'm in my 50s too and put my old record player in the garbage a long time ago . I too still find this deeply moving and utterly beautiful. Could'nt agree more with you.

magnifique chanson d'un chanteur folk US hélas méconnu en france . Voir aussi American Pie ,Vincent et the more you pay . On trouve en CD maintenant .

Played tonight to the memory of Hillary Rodham Clinton. RIP.

And it is now the fragile ego of Trump who owns it now.

Facebook...

A thoughtful  introspective song Don one of the cleverest of song smiths its about  worrying what others think of you and presenting an image of yourself to the world to hide the truth of what and who you are. its about self deception and self loathing. We all do it throughout our lives even though we know it makes no difference in the end
Robert Burns said  "O would some god the gift to give us to see ourselves as other see us" whether that's  a blessing or a curse I don't know? which is what Don said in an interview  of how he felt about the success of "American Pie" and his resultant fame when he wrote this song

Jim Stewart 0

Jim Stewart good man ! Keep up your knowledge man!

I had this on vinil disk "Don McLean" at 1973

with your constant quiet lies;
Its BY your constant quiet lies.. fyi!

I had this on CD and I cant find it!! Let alone a current CD on Amazon!

There are at least 2 people who live inside of your skin. The YOU that was created, and the YOU that was made to be who you are by the society you were raised in. (yes even your family ( John Maxwell)). Tey are two distinctly different PPL. It is to this distinction that Don writes.

exactly

This song was my theme song for about 20+ years... I went to AA and found a way out of the 8 track tape... Now life is worth living, Thanks Don, Some people are just Messengers, You were mine

He is a Teacher for sure.

I just love to hear his (Don McLean's voice( so unique, so caring and devouring, moved me to tears.

40 years have passed and I still love this song. Songs nowadays are just incomparable.

For I know you for what you are not for that's really all you are.
One of the best lyrics ever written

Yes, yes, yes!

no, i don't think so. Listen to the words.

is this about the Gay parade ?

yeh boy im listining a rock song....but the Don Mclean song she is not lost the music...

Great song. The Don McLean , Don McLean album is still my favorite of his.

The more I listen to this song, the more complex its meanings become to me, but that distracts me from enjoying Don's lovely singing and guitar playing.

@DavelovesRealMusic I think a lot more than 6,000 plus people know this song, but only that number have watched this video so far (quite a few times by me). I didn't know this song until I came across this video two months ago. It's not included in the first few pages when you search Don McLean which is too bad. If it was, then more people would probably watch it.

@DavelovesRealMusic You have a point. It's just so sad and such a shame. Beautiful songs should be sung and performed as often as possible everywhere possible. So many hit songs nowadays sound quite ugly, so Don should really perform his most beautiful songs every chance he gets.

@DavelovesRealMusic That sounds better and more fitting than my idea. Thanks for sharing! I just wish Don would perform this and his many other beautiful but almost unknown songs in his concerts and that they would be played on the radio. It's a shame that only his diehard fans know these amazing songs.

@emofolkie It's much simpler...even though the lyrics are complex..it's about fooling yourself and creating a world of lies. When you strip off the mask and see yourself for who you are....and see that the mask needs to be on for you not to commiy suicide. It;s about your truth.

@mobyboy no it's not....

I think thi sis also my favoritye mclean song..and one he never performs (not in over 25 years)....this is a very personal song....and sad......imagine walking into a record company meeting looking for the next American Pie..and he plays this....a Blessed Soul.

His voice and guitar playing are a perfect match, so perfectly beautiful.

Just when I was starting to think there aren't any other Don McLean songs that can match the magnificence of Oh My What a Shame, Crossroads, Empty Chairs, Winter Has Me in its Grip and Vincent I come across this one, another truly amazing song that's a complete and utterly satisfying banquet for the ears, mind and heart. What's the song about? I think it's about wanting anything that could destroy you, like fame, wealth, drugs, someone, etc.. Don is truly one of a kind. Thanks zomgzx!!!

It's about the delusion of vanity; fame, wealth, drugs, etc. are all symptoms of being caught up in that delusion until "its fire just consumes you."

Don McLean's best song

is this song about gays ?

No. It's about the actual quality of being prideful.

Quality...lol. Pride is not a virtue, sonshine

this was a profound album, in the begining of his great career, I always like this album the very best , listen to the words, a profound interpitation of lifes roads , . . thanx Don , . . from russell the wizzard on myspace in roswell nm, july 16th 2010

a millon thanks zomgzx.. i have been waiting a long tme for someone to post this song..

my FAVORITE Don mclean song--so beautiful and sad. I never asw him play this one LIVE ever..I asked once and he said "My manager said he doesnt want me to play too many depressing songs'. he needs a NEW manager

I think this song deserves more acclaim than it seems to have gotten. Then again, this might come from the fact that I have trouble finding a digital version of this to purchase.

I always loved this song. "I know you for what you are NOT, for thats really all you are.."

from his website, about a year ago. Not that I'm a procrastinator or anything ;)

Haha, sorry!

By the way, I like that early version of "American Pie" you posted. Where did you get that??

damn! every time i want to post one you do it first! ok, which one am I going to post now;) - thanks!