Songwriter admits toll his craft takes on him

Don McLean says song writing takes an emotional toll on him.

"It's nerve-racking for me. I'm not a formula songwriter," McLean told AP Radio. His songs include "American Pie," "Castles in the Air" and "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)."

"You write the song and as it's coming out of you, you get emotional about it and you get very rushed to try to grab it because it's like catching something like an emotion and putting it in a bottle," he said.

McLean, 58, is proud of what he's accomplished and the awards he's received.