John Mayer covers 'American Pie' for David Letterman

John Mayer covers &quot;American Pie&quot; for Letterman

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 20 April 2015

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

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox