It’s almost a guarantee that if you ask someone about Don McLean’s 1971 iconic hit song, “American Pie,” they can recite the lyrics to you. Even more likely they’ll remember the classic vinyl album, reprinted for decades, that features the singer with his thumb up and painted as an American flag. I bet you’re humming it right now as you read this!

With the release of the documentary, The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie, celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the song, HFPA member Michele Manelis sat down with the artist in an episode of our “Golden Globes Around the World” podcast series to talk about his career, and the secrets behind the iconic song.

Sung by everyone from Madonna to Bon Jovi, the eight-minute musical masterpiece is described in the documentary by country star Garth Brooks – who once sang the song with McLean at his own Central Park concert – as “quite possibly the greatest song in music history.”

The documentary also includes an emotional scene in which McLean meets the sister of the late singer, Richie Valen, during an anniversary performance in the Iowa town where a 1959 plane crash killed music stars Richie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the ‘Big Bopper’, J.P. Richardson and was immortalized in McLean’s song as “The Day the Music Died”.

“And this song is going to be blown up bigger than anything again because of this movie,” McLean tells Manelis proudly.  “Because I don’t know of any other song that you could do this with other than “American Pie. If you took “A Day in the Life” or “Good Vibrations” – two monumental records in my opinion – I’m still not sure they have the personal aspect and the political aspects that allow this movie to be what it is.”

The documentary is available on Paramount + from July 19 both in the U.S. and internationally wherever the service is available.