Empty Chairs: A Beautiful Song About Love And Loss
Aug 3, 2023
1 min read
0
184
1
Like many of us, Don McLean suffered through difficult passages in his life, many of which are reflected in his music. He wrote and recorded “Empty Chairs” when his marriage was failing. Despite the subject of lost love, I feel there is incredible beauty in the lyrics and the melody, and Mclean’s unique guitar style.
Although the subject is mentioned just once in the song, McLean chose the symbol to sum up his feelings and state of mind at the time. The title is inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings of empty chairs. Mclean sympathized with Van Gogh and admired his paintings as revealed in his song “Vincent” recorded on the same album: “American Pie.”
I’ve re-recorded “Empty Chairs” with a better guitar and some improved technique. Please enjoy listening.
#brokenheart #DonMclean #acousticguitar #guitartechnique #loneliness #solos #guitarsolos #fingerpicking #beauty #popmusic #relationships #vocals #love #singer #songwriter #beautifulmusic #guitarcovers #VanGogh #AmericanPie #VanGoghpaintings #singing #VincentVanGogh #guitarplayer
You completely missed the historical consequences of the song! In 1971 Lori Lieberman attended a Don McLean concert with friend Michele Willens who was trying to cheer her up. She had just separated from boyfriend Norman Gimbel and was devastated.
When McLean sang Empty Chairs, Lori felt like he was singing it to HER. The words ripped through her, the empty chair metaphor for the missing person who filled her life. But McLean captured her heart and exposed the emptiness and let her express it through him. He was singing her life with his words.
On a napkin Lori wrote the lyrics for "Killing Me Softly With His Words". In an attempt to get him back, she fleshed out the lyrics and brought them to Norman.
Who betrayed her yet again.
Gimbel brought the song to their composer friend Charles Fox, who did the music to what would be the even bigger hit when done by Roberta Flack a year later. Lori eventually recorded her OWN version - because her scum cheating (he was married) lying boyfriend REFUSED to credit her as the lyricist fearing his wife would discover the affair.
Much later and facing legal action he finally gave her songwriting credit.