Don McLean Talks About The Mountains Of Mourne Song

Another song that that means a lot to people in this country that the Mountains of Mourne right which from from you I'd love to know the connection between how does it land on your lap

Right, well um when I was a kid or maybe 11 12 years old 1957 I was born in 1945 I had a Kingston Trio record yeah and they sang the Mountains of Mourne and I liked the record and why be all the kids had their records and many years later I heard someone in a coffeehouse somewhere singing the fourth verse to the song which I'd never heard.

The Denny McClaren verse and so that maybe decide to record the song and I was on United Artists records back in the 70s and all my albums sold very well and I made an album that was a little bit different of just a bunch of different songs that I like an album called playing favorites which Rolling Stone actually liked you know they usually hated everything I did.

And out of that album came the mountain of Mourne but I actually slowed it down. When I came over here and sang it people said everybody gets drunk and sings that song yes I'm afraid it's true they're you know they're saying so I'd slowed it down so it really is a pretty song yeah cuz sometimes when you slow down the melody you can hear it but it's so beautiful.

It is it's like a little movie isn't it it's it's it's like a little film it's a little film and when you say that the part I liked was I believe see you remember young Denis McLaren of course well he's over here with the rest of the force I saw him one day yes he stood on the Strand stopped all the traffic with a wave of his hand as we were chatting of days that are gone whole town of London's to dare to look on but for all his great power he's wishful like me to be back where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.