或许有人不知道Don McLean,但是我想应该有很多人听过开头是一句“Stary Stary Night”的《Vincet》吧,这首歌所写的就是梵高的一幅充满强烈表现力的名作。这首歌是美国民谣歌手Don McLean为纪念荷兰的伟大画家文森特•梵高而作,收录在那张为其赢来巨大声誉的专辑《American Pie》里,歌曲创作的灵感来自梵高的一幅著名的《Starry Starry Night》(星空),旋律流畅得浑如天成,词作也是如画般的唯美,让人想起德国小说家施笃姆的诗意小说中大段大段描写的空蒙月色。
梵高最受人爱戴的名画之一就是1889年他住在St.Remy精神病院内所画的The Starry Night,也就是Don McLean在《Vincent》的第一句歌词。这幅名画The Starry Night现放于纽约Museum of Modern Art内,每天开始及完结时,艺术馆都会播放DonMcLean的Vincent这首名曲。
1889 年6月,圣雷米疗养院,一个神经崩溃的人,一副色彩丰富艳丽的星空。正如Don 在他的音乐里所描述的,Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, Swirling clouds in violet haze, Reflect in Vincent's eyes of China blue. 酷似燃烧着的,情感奔放热烈的,色彩鲜明的花朵,是如此耀目,而那些云彩以 swirling 的姿态恣意卷舒,薄沙的 haze 在 violet 魅力非凡的颜色之中缓缓流动,这一切,都映现在梵高的眼睛里,他的眼睛,是深邃的景泰之蓝。貌似艳丽的画,实际上在诉说一种彻底爆发之前宁静和寂寥,也许就如梵高当时的心境。 Don McLean 的歌声轻柔,我们能够想到什么呢,也许就只限于那一片萦萦的夜空,而在那幅画问世13个月之后,在麦穗轻轻摇摆的奥维尔麦田深处,梵高选择了放弃生命,早已濒临绝望的生命。
Starry, starry night Paint your palette blue and gray Look out on a summer's day With eyes that know the darkness is 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 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 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 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 For they could not love you And still your love was true And when no hope was left inside 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 hall Frameless heads on nameless walls With eyes that watch the world and can't forget Like the strangers that you've met The ragged man in ragged clothes The silver thorn of bloody rose Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow Now I think I know what you tried to say to me 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