Biden Amazed by Yoon's Unexpected Rendition of 'American Pie'

US-Korea Presidential State Dinner at the White House
Yoon's Signature Song Revealed During Candidacy
American Folk Icon Don McLean's Classic Song

On the 26th (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol passionately sang "American Pie" at a state dinner held at the White House in Washington DC, USA. Exclamations of admiration poured from the VIP seats, and even U.S. President Joe Biden was visibly amazed. "American Pie" is a signature song by Don McLean, one of America's greatest folk musicians.

The dinner hosted by President Joe Biden included a musical performance. During the dinner, President Yoon took the stage together with President Biden.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

President Biden presented President Yoon with an acoustic guitar signed by Don McLean himself. It was reported to be a "surprise gift" inspired by the fact that President Yoon is a fan of McLean. The two also posed for photos holding the guitar together.

When guests at the event requested a song, President Yoon said, "If you, the strong supporters and stakeholders of the Korea-US alliance, wish, I will sing just one verse," adding, "But I’m not sure if I remember the lyrics well."

President Yoon Suk-yeol (right) and U.S. President Joe Biden [Image source=UPI Yonhap News]

Then, piano music began to play. President Yoon sang the opening verse of "American Pie" for about one minute. He sang, "A long long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile," passionately performing the first verse of "American Pie," which is a lengthy piece lasting about eight minutes.

As President Yoon’s singing began, exclamations of admiration were heard intermittently from the audience. After the song ended, everyone stood up and gave a standing ovation. It was reported that even President Biden told President Yoon, "I had no damn idea you could sing." Top-tier Broadway musical stars attending the dinner also stood and applauded.

A Classic Folk Song Evoking American Rock 'n' Roll Nostalgia

President Joe Biden (left) and President Yoon Suk-yeol are holding an acoustic guitar signed by John McLean. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

"American Pie," sung by President Yoon, is a signature song by Don McLean, an American singer-songwriter and legendary folk musician. It was included in the 1971 album of the same name, "American Pie," and received enthusiastic responses from the public, ranking third on the 1972 Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart. Due to its popularity, it was also re-released as a standalone single.

While the song features a beautiful and lively melody typical of folk songs, its lyrics surprisingly have a sad undertone. It calmly depicts the fading era of rock 'n' roll, which once made waves in America, and the rise of British-style rock, such as the Beatles.

The song’s unique sentiment reaches its peak in the chorus with lines like "good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye," and "singin' this'll be the day that I die."

Meanwhile, President Yoon had also expressed his affection for McLean’s songs during his candidacy. After launching his official Facebook account in 2021, he wrote in his first post, "My hobbies are grocery shopping, cooking, walking, and visiting art galleries," and added, "My go-to songs are Don McLean’s 'American Pie' and 'Vincent.'"