Don McLean's enigmatic hit "American Pie" is a "beast," David Letterman said on Friday's Late Night, but he requested that singer-songwriter John Mayer perform the song on his show, anyway. And since Letterman is on his farewell tour, what's Mayer going to say? He does a fine job, with Paul Shaffer and the band as his backup ensemble, and while you still may not get all the references — here's an easy one: American Pie was the name of the airplane that Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens died on — it's hard not to enjoy the music. Certainly, Letterman and his audience did. —Peter Weber
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