If it is possible, the story of the song and its legend may be bigger than the song. This is Episode 12 of Caffe Lena: 60 Years of Song. Thank you to Sarah at the Caffe for compiling the list of artists and songs. Legend has it that while drinking, McLean wrote the lyrics to "American Pie" on a napkin at bar just down from Caffe Lena, where he'd performed earlier that night. The story, which has been retold countless times is that McLean passed out and his buddies saved his napkin to return to