Vincent (Don McLean song)

"Starry Starry Night" redirects here. For the Don McLean live album, see Starry Starry Night (album).

"Vincent"
Song

"Vincent" is a song by Don McLean written as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. It is also known by its opening line, "Starry Starry Night", a reference to van Gogh's painting Starry Night. The song describes different paintings by van Gogh.

Don McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading a book about the life of the artist. The following year, the song became the #1 hit in the UK and #12 in the USA. For several years, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam played the song daily. A copy of the sheet music is in a safe beneath the museum, along with a set of van Gogh's paint brushes, the hat he wore while painting Starry Night, and various other items.

In 2000, PBS aired Don McLean: Starry, Starry Night, a concert special that was filmed in Austin.

The song

Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night"

The song clearly demonstrates a deep-seated admiration for not only the work of van Gogh, but also for the man himself. The song includes references to his landscape works, in lines such as "sketch the trees and the daffodils" and "morning fields of amber grain" - which describe the amber wheat that features in several paintings. There are also several lines that may allude to van Gogh's self portraits: perhaps in "weathered faces lined in pain / are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand", McLean is suggesting that van Gogh may have found some sort of consolation in creating portraits of himself. There is, too, a single line describing van Gogh's most famous set of works, Sunflowers. "Flaming flowers that brightly blaze" draws not only on the luminous orange and yellow colours of the painting, but also creates powerful images of the sun itself, flaming and blazing, being contained within the flowers and the painting.

As far as the song goes as a tribute to van Gogh as the man himself, the song reflects on the lack of recognition that van Gogh received. In each chorus, McLean says "They would not listen / they did not know how / perhaps they'll listen now," except in the final verse, McLean says "They would not listen / They're not listening still / Perhaps they never will". This is the story of van Gogh: unrecognised as an artist until after his death. The lyrics suggest that van Gogh was trying to "set [people] free" with the message in his work. McLean feels that this message was made clear to him: "And now I understand what you tried to say to me", he sings. Perhaps it is this eventual understanding that inspired McLean to write the song.

It is also thought that the song intends to portray van Gogh's tough relationship with his family. They were a wealthy family who did not accept him for his schizophrenia ("for they could not love you") and never understood his will to help the poor. It is thought that van Gogh felt that in killing himself he would make the point to his parents. This is seen in the line "Perhaps they'll listen now". Many believe that the song is a touching tribute to van Gogh in respect of the hardship he faced with regards to his mental illness and his admirable good natured ways.

There are also references to van Gogh's sanity and his suicide. Throughout his life, van Gogh was plagued with mental disorders, particularly depression. He "suffered for his sanity" and eventually "took his life, as lovers often do". The word "lover" puts into context how McLean saw the relationship of van Gogh with his art - a relationship of love. This love was strong enough for van Gogh to persevere with his art even without acceptance from his contemporaries: "For they could not love you, but still your love was true".

Legacy

"Vincent" has been featured on the soundtracks of several TV shows, including Heart of Greed, Nip/Tuck, and The Simpsons.

The song was a favorite of the rapper and activist Tupac Amaru Shakur, who was born the year it was written. He wrote a poem dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh, to whom he felt a deep connection.

The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam played the song daily in the 1970s and a copy of the sheet music, together with a set of Van Gogh's paint brushes, is buried in a time capsule beneath the museum.

In a 2001 McSweeney's Internet Tendency piece, humorist Kevin Guilfoile reinterpreted the song's lyrics in a carefully constructed conceit: ignoring all accepted connections with Van Gogh, he interprets its lyrics as being about American football.

This song was the favourite of the legendary Irish footballer George Best and was sung at his funeral in 2005 by Brian Kennedy. not very good though!

Cover versions

• Josh Groban on his debut album, Josh Groban.
• The artist Chloë Agnew, a member of the Celtic Woman musical group, released a version of this song on her CD Walking In The Air.
• Tori Amos covered this song live on various dates during her 2002-2003 and 2005 tours.
• Julie Andrews sings the song in an episode of The Julie Andrews Hour.
• Justin Hayward in his solo album Classic Blue with Mike Batt.
• This song is covered by Declan Galbraith in his 2006 album Thank You.
• Brian Kennedy sang the song at George Best's funeral.
• The punk band NOFX released a version of this song on a rarities and b-sides double album.
• Jane Olivor covered the song on her 1977 album First Night.
• This song was covered by Alan Smith, introduced as "Ya Greetin Faced Sh*te", in 2002, in Glastonbury.
• The band Spot 1019 released a version of this song on their 2002 CD In Her Satanic Majesty's Secret Service Entrance.
• Chyi Yu covered the song on her 1988 album Whoever Finds This, I Love You.
• Chet Atkins covered this song in a fingerstyle guitar arrangement.
• Rick Astley covered this song on his 2005 album Portrait.
• Julio Iglesias covered this song in his album My Life: The Greatest Hits (disc 1).
• Vonda Shepard for the TV show Ally McBeal and its companion album, Heart and Soul.
• Garth Brooks performed an acoustic version of this song during his November 12, 2007 concert in Kansas City, MO.
• Roberto Vecchioni, an italian singer-songwriter, released an italian covered version of this song on his 2000 album Canzoni e cicogne.