‘I Had No Damn Idea!’ Biden Stunned As South Korea President Wows State Dinner Singing ‘American Pie’

President Joe Biden was stunned when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol wowed the crowd at the White House with a poignant stanza from the Don McLean rock ode “American Pie.”

Hours after a newsmaking joint press conference, President Biden hosted President Yoon for a state dinner Wednesday night — the second state dinner of Biden’s presidency, the other being December’s fete for French President Emmanuel Macron.

One noteworthy highlight of the evening was the performance of “American Pie” which included a guest verse by Yoon, who is a big-time fan of the song. He wowed the crowd and Biden, who exclaimed, “I had no damn idea you could sing!”

The two presidents shared personal memories about the song as well. From a pool report:

The Broadway singers seemed particularly pumped up during their performances. Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk almost shook with excitement and gave each other an exuberant high five at the end of their first number, “Happy Days Are Here Again,” which had Coalition of the Willing veteran band member Tony Blinken, known as ABliken on Spotify, bopping his head to the beat.

But the big moment of the evening came at the end, when the singers added an encore song, a rendition of Don McLean’s iconic “American Pie,” saying they had heard it was a favorite of President Yoon’s. Yoon clapped along and then afterward, FLOTUS pushed him up on stage, at which point POTUS said that it was a favorite of his sons when they were young too, although they sang one of the famous verses as “drinking whisky and dry” rather than “drinking whiskey and rye” (or alternatively “drinking whiskey in rye,” as sometimes interpreted).

“We know this is one of your favorite songs, ‘American Pie,’” POTUS said to Yoon.

“Yes, that’s true,” Yoon said through a Korean translator. “When I was going to school, it was one of my favorite songs.”

“We want to hear you sing it,” POTUS said.

“It’s been a while but…” Yoon replied, not truly resisting.

And then the South Korean president belted out the first few stanzas of the song as the crowd went wild.

POTUS and FLOTUS seemed delighted. “Don’t expect me to sing it!” POTUS said.

POTUS said that Don McLean could not be at the White House tonight but sent a signed guitar which he presented to Yoon.

“The next state dinner we’re going to have you’re looking at the entertainment,” POTUS told the audience, meaning Yoon. Then to Yoon, he said, “I had no damn idea you could sing.”

Watch above via White House press pool.