Vincent (Starry Starry Night) - Don McLean

Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) lyrics

Starry, starry night

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 daffodils

Catch the breeze and the winter chills

In colours 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 and violet haze

Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue

Colours changing hue

Morning fields of amber grain

Weathered faces lined in pain

Are soothed beneath the artists' 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 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

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

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...

文森特·凡·高（Vincent van Gogh, 1853.3.30 Zundert, Netherlands-1890.7.29 Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, France）出生在荷兰一个乡村牧师家庭。他是后印象派的三大巨匠之一。 　　

凡·高年轻时在画店里当店员，这算是他最早受的“艺术教育”。后来到巴黎，和印象派画家相交，在色彩方面受到启发和熏陶。以此，人们称他为“后印象 派”。但比印象派画家更彻底地学习了东方艺术中线条的表现力，他很欣赏日本葛饰北斋的“浮世绘”。而在西方画家中，从精神上给他更大的影响的则是伦勃郎、 杜米埃和米莱（Millet）。　　

凡·高生性善良，同情穷人，早年为了“抚慰世上一切不幸的人”，他曾自费到一个矿区里去当过教士，跟矿工一样吃最差的伙食，一起睡在地板上。矿坑爆炸 时，他曾冒死救出一个重伤的矿工。他的这种过分认真的牺牲精神引起了教会的不安，终于把他撤了职。这样，他才又回到绘画事业上来，受到他的表兄以及当时荷 兰一些画家短时间的指导，并与巴黎新起的画家（包括印象派画家）建立了友谊。 　　

凡·高全部杰出的、富有独创性的作品，都是在他生命最后的六年中完成的。他最初的作品，情调常是低沉的，可是后来，他大量的作品即一变低沉而为响亮和 明朗，好象要用欢快的歌声来慰藉人世的苦难，以表达他强烈的理想和希望。一位英国评论家说：“他用全部精力追求了一件世界上最简单、最普通的东西，这就是 太阳。”他的画面上不单充满了阳光下的鲜艳色彩，而且不止一次地下面去描绘令人逼视的太阳本身，并且多次描绘向日葵。为了纪念他去世的表兄莫夫，他画了一 幅阳光下《盛开的桃花》，并题写诗句说：“只要活人还活着，死去的人总还是活着。” 　　

人们如果确能真诚相爱，生命则将是永存的，这就是凡·高的愿望和信念。可是冷酷和污浊的现实终于使这个敏感而热情的艺术家患了间歇性精神错乱，病发之 时陷于狂乱，病过之后则更加痛苦。他不愿增加别人（尤其是弟弟提奥）的负担，于1890年7月23日自杀，几天后身亡，享年只有37岁。几个月后，曾经把 自己全部热爱和物力献给他的提奥也死去了。人们说：提奥是为了凡·高而生的…… 　 　

凡·高的正式作品和素描按照J.B.De LA Faille的“The Works of Vincent Van Gogh: His Paintings and Drawings”一书中所用的编号标出，编号前注有F或SD（从属于素描）；JH为Jan Hulsker所设编号, 相比“F”更准确，也更全面。书信部分按照《文森特·凡·高书信全集》（1981年波士顿出版）的编号标出。凡·高给提奥的信及少量写给其他人的信在编号 前注有“L”；写爱弥尔·贝尔纳的信编号前注有“B”；写给安东·凡·拉帕德的信编号前注有“R”；写给威廉敏娜·凡·高的信编号前注有“W”；提奥写给 凡·高的信编号前注有“T”。