Okay to use a line similar to a recorded song's line?

[LiveMusic]

I posted this on Songwriting forum but there's hardly any traffic there and I do need to quickly know how to pronounce Don McLean's last name, so if anyone here knows, please let me know. Here is that post: === I have a song that I wrote months ago and now I'm practicing the pacing so I can record it. But there's a part that's bugging me. I _like_ these lines but if they are a no-no, then I need to rewrite. Here they are. [i]Each Saturday, I picked her up in my old beat up Chevy We'd rattle on down to our spot atop the levee[/i] Now, obviously, Don McLean said "drove my Chevy to the levee" in "American Pie." Here are some points: FWIW, this song is about (irrelevant?) falling for a girl and we eventually get married in the song. Full lyric later. I really did have a Chevy (even writing another song about it) and we really would go to the levee. So, it's really true. We probably even listened to McLean's song. However, as it stands, it strikes me... uh... is this okay... since he also said "Chevy/levee?" I've considered rewriting this line to bring his song into it. Like... [i]Each Saturday, I picked her up in my old beat up Chevy We'd sing along with Don up on the levee[/i] Or something like that. Any thoughts? EDIT: How 'bout: [i]Each Saturday, I picked her up in my old beat up Chevy We'd sing along with Don McLean while parking on the levee[/i] Kinda like that last one the best, as it solves the problem but still curious about the nature of the question. Plus, anyone know if you pronounce his name MacLEEN or MacLANE? Seems I've heard it as MacLANE. (I have to sing it.)

[Ultravibe]

I've heard it pronounced Mac-leen. As for the lyric, I think you are completely safe as long as the music isn't close to American Pie. One line that is similar doesn't plagiarism make.