by, Fletcher Morton
Vincent Van
Gogh was born March 30th 1853 and died July 29th 1890.
Cause of death was suicide. He was only 37. Some of his best
pictures include self-portraits, Starry Night, and The Potato Eaters. The
pictures right before his death were surprisingly his best.
I am learning a song about Vincent Van Gogh by Don McLean
called Vincent.
Verse 1
Starry, starry night, Paint your palette blue and gray, Look
out on a summer’s day, with eyes that know the darkness in my soul, Shadows on
the hills, sketch the trees and the daffodils, catch the breeze and the winter
chills, in colors on the snowy linen land.
Chorus
Now I understand, what you tried to say to me, how you
suffered for your sanity, how you tried to set them free, they would not listen
they did not know how, perhaps they’ll listen now.
Verse 2
Starry, starry night, flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
swirling clouds in violet haze, reflecting Vincent’s eyes of china blue, colors
changing hue, Morning fields of amber grain, weathered faces lined with pain,
are soothed beneath the artists loving hand.
Chorus
Now I understand, what you tried to say to me, how you
suffered for your sanity, how you tried to set them free, they would not listen
they did not know how, perhaps they’ll listen now.
Bridge
For they could not love you, But still your love was true,
And when no hope was left in sight, on that starry, starry night, you took your
life as lovers often do, But I could have told you, Vincent, This world was
never meant for one as beautiful as you.
Verse 3
Starry, starry night, portraits hung in empty halls,
frameless heads on nameless walls, with eyes that watch the world and can’t
forget, like the strangers that you’ve met, the ragged men in ragged clothes,
the silver thorn of bloody rose, lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Chorus
Now I think I know, what you tried to say to me, and how you
suffered for your sanity, how you tried to set them free, they would not
listen, they’re not listening still, perhaps they never will.
Meanings of the song:
“Look out on a summer’s day” was said by Vincent while he
was in an insane asylum.
“Flaming flowers that brightly blaze” is reference to a
picture of sunflowers in a vase.
“Swirling clouds in violet haze” is reference to Starry
Night.
“Weathered faces lined with pain” is reference to The Potato
Eaters.
“You took your life as lovers often do” is Vincent’s
suicide.
The entire last chorus is Don understanding Vincent’s
condition and why he was poor and institutionalized, because nobody understood what the
paintings were or their meaning.
Don McLean wrote the song as an argument that Vincent
wasn’t insane. He got the thought in his head and then
wrote the lyrics on a paper bag. The song is so sweet and beautiful that it elicits an emotional response in the listener.
This song requires finger picking all the way
through. It's a challenging song for me.
I really like it and hope that you do too.
