Don McLean is a big fan of Weird Al's "American Pie" parody

For those unfamiliar or in need of a memory jog, "The Saga Begins" is Yankovic's telling of the plot of "The Phantom Menace" in story-song form. For his offering, he wisely chose to parody "American Pie," a meandering, yet iconic, story song that was the longest song to top the Billboard Hot 100 for many years. Then, Taylor Swift released her 10-minute version of "All Too Well." 

Famously, Yankovic wanted to have his song ready in time to be relevant to the massive cultural moment of "The Phantom Menace," so he pieced the plot together from rumors on the nascent internet. He pretty much nailed it. Also, "The Saga Begins" is decidedly better than "The Phantom Menace," a remarkably-bad movie that nostalgic contrarians need to stop defending.

Usually, musicians appreciate Weird Al's parodies, especially because he has worked to make sure he gets the green light for his songs from musicians, especially after a kerfuffle with Coolio. However, McLean offered effusive praise for "The Saga Begins." "When I heard his version, I thought it was better than the original," he said.

Yes, McLean was willing to assert "The Saga Begins" is better than "American Pie." Hey, who are we to argue?

(h/t Billboard)