McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading a book about the life of the artist.
The following year, the song became the number one hit in the U.K. and No. 12 in the U.S.
In 2000, PBS aired Don McLean: Starry, Starry Night, a concert special that was filmed in Austin, Texas.
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.
In each chorus, McLean pays tribute to Van Gogh by reflecting on his lack of recognition: "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."
There is a great lyrics translation in german on http://www.swr.de/swr1/rp/musik/songbook/-/id=446740/nid=446740/did=598410/1a6wjpg/index.html
Vincent
Don McLean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paint your palette blue and grey
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
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
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
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
A silver thorn, a bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they're not listening still
Perhaps they never will
"Vincent" by Don McLean is a tribute to the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. The song describes the painter's intense emotions and deep struggles, which ultimately led to his suicide. The opening lines set the scene for the song, with the description of a "starry, starry night" and the instruction to "paint your palette blue and grey." The summer's day is viewed through eyes that know the darkness in the soul, and the shadows on the hills and the sketch of trees and daffodils set the haunting mood of the song. The song moves to describe the colors on the snowy linen land, and how the artist sees the world in his unique way.
The chorus speaks about the artist's inner struggles and the message he was trying to convey through his work. The song describes how the artist suffered for his sanity, and how he tried to set his thoughts and emotions free, but no one could understand his message. The third verse suggests that Vincent was creating something beautiful out of his pain, but ultimately lost hope in life and took his own life. The song concludes with the assertion that Vincent was too good for this world, and the world did not appreciate his beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
Starry, starry night
The night sky is filled with stars.
Paint your palette blue and grey
Use blue and grey colors to paint the picture of the night sky.
Look out on a summer's day
Watch the world on a bright and sunny day.
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
With eyes that have seen deep sorrow and pain.
Shadows on the hills
The hills are cast in shadows.
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Draw the trees and the flowers in the picture.
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
Feel the sensation of the wind and the coldness in the picture.
In colors on the snowy linen land
Use colors to create the image of snowy land on canvas.
Now I understand
I finally comprehend the meaning behind your art.
What you tried to say to me
The message you were trying to convey through your art.
And how you suffered for your sanity
You experienced mental anguish while trying to convey your message.
And how you tried to set them free
You wanted to release people from their burdens and pain through your art.
They would not listen, they did not know how
People weren't able to understand or appreciate your art.
Perhaps they'll listen now
Maybe now people will understand and appreciate your art after your death.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
The flowers in the image are bright and colorful.
Swirling clouds in violet haze
The clouds in the picture are in a hazy, violet-colored state.
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
The colors in the picture are reflected in Vincent's bright blue eyes.
Colors changing hue
The colors of the landscape are constantly changing.
Morning fields of amber grain
Fields of wheat that shine like gold in the morning sun.
Weathered faces lined in pain
Faces showing the wear and tear of a hard life.
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand
The pain and suffering of these faces is alleviated through the artist's compassionate touch.
For they could not love you
People were not capable of understanding and loving Vincent for who he was.
But still your love was true
Vincent continued to love and create art despite the difficulties he faced.
And when no hope was left in sight
When Vincent lost all hope and felt trapped in his pain.
On that starry, starry night
It was on a clear night that Vincent took his own life.
You took your life, as lovers often do
Like many artists and people in love, Vincent ended up taking his own life.
But I could have told you, Vincent
I wish I had been there to tell you that you were loved and appreciated.
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
The world was too harsh and cruel for someone as kind-hearted and beautiful as Vincent.
Portraits hung in empty halls
Empty halls lined with pictures of people who are no longer there.
Frameless heads on nameless walls
Pictures of people without their frames or names.
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
The eyes of the people in the paintings are always watching and remembering.
Like the strangers that you've met
The faces in the painting are like strangers that Vincent has met throughout his life.
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The poor and downtrodden people that Vincent encountered.
A silver thorn, a bloody rose
The beauty and pain that exists in the world and in Vincent's art.
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
The pain and beauty of these things lie forgotten and broken in the cold, untouched snow.
They would not listen, they're not listening still
Even after Vincent's death, people still don't understand and appreciate his art.
Perhaps they never will
It's possible that people will never truly appreciate Vincent's art and the beauty he saw in the world.
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Don McLean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Boxer
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dcWFYtG8RFM