Vincent
Jim Croce & Don McLean Lyrics

Starry, starry night
The clear night sky with stars shining bright.

Paint your palette blue and grey
Use colors like blue and gray to paint an image in your mind.

Look out on a summer's day
View the world on a beautiful summer day.

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
With eyes that have experienced and understand the pain and sadness of life.

Shadows on the hills
The darkness of the hills and land when the sun sets.

Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Draw and show the beauty of nature, such as flowers and trees.

Catch the breeze and the winter chills
Feel the breeze of the wind and the cold during the winter time.

In colors on the snowy linen land
Create artwork that depicts the beauty of the snow-covered landscapes with bright colors.

Now I understand
The artist has gained insight or knowledge about the artist.

What you tried to say to me
The artist has finally comprehended the message that the artist was trying to convey in his art.

And how you suffered for your sanity
The artist went through pain and struggles to maintain his mental health and create art.

And how you tried to set them free
The artist intended for his art to liberate or free others from pain and struggles.

They would not listen, they did not know how
Many people were unable to understand and appreciate the art due to their lack of knowledge or understanding of art and its meaning.

Perhaps they'll listen now
The hope that people will start appreciating and understanding the message in the art of Vincent Van Gogh.

Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
The vibrant and glowing flowers that are full of life and energy.

Swirling clouds in violet haze
The clouds in the sky with a purple haze that seem to be moving or swirling.

Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
The colors and beauty of the world were reflected in Vincent's bright blue eyes.

Colors changing hue
The different shades of colors, such as the colors of the sky or the flowers, changing as time goes on.

Morning fields of amber grain
The golden fields of grains in the morning that look like honey.

Weathered faces lined in pain
The faces of people who have gone through hardships and struggles that are visible through their expressions.

Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand
The art that the artist creates gives people comfort and healing from their pain and struggles.

For they could not love you
Many people were unable to appreciate or respect Vincent Van Gogh's art and his unique vision.

But still your love was true
Vincent still created art and found joy in it despite the lack of recognition and support from others.

And when no hope was left in sight
During the time when Vincent was struggling with his art and his mental health.

On that starry, starry night
The lonely and dark night when Vincent took his own life.

You took your life, as lovers often do
Vincent's passion for his art was like a love affair, and like many romantic relationships, it was intense and destructive.

But I could have told you, Vincent
The singer could have warned Vincent about the struggles and hardships he would face as an artist.

This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
The world is not capable of appreciating and understanding the unique beauty of Vincent Van Gogh's art and vision.

Portraits hung in empty halls
Empty rooms with paintings hanging on the walls.

Frameless heads on nameless walls
Paintings of people's faces without frames or names to identify them.

With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
The eyes in the paintings that seem to be watching and witnessing the world, and remembering the past.

Like the strangers that you've met
The people portrayed in the paintings are like strangers that the artist had met and observed in his life.

The ragged men in ragged clothes
The poor and destitute people who are dressed in shabby and worn-out clothes.

A silver thorn, a bloody rose
The image of something beautiful, such as a rose, that can also cause pain, like a thorn.

Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
The struggles and pain of the people depicted in the paintings are shown as crushed and broken on the pure white snow.

Now I think I know
The artist has finally understood the message and purpose behind the art of Vincent Van Gogh.

They would not listen, they're not listening still
Despite the hope that people will start appreciating the art of Vincent Van Gogh, many are still unable to understand and appreciate it.

Perhaps they never will
The world may never have the capacity to appreciate the beauty and depth of Vincent Van Gogh's art.