I was in 3rd year high school when I first heard the song “Starry, Starry Night”. I looked for the complete lyrics of it, searching from piles and piles of songbooks/song hits, which I am fond of collecting. To no avail, I wasn’t able to locate it not even in one of the oldest songbooks that my father owned. One day, I heard a neighbor singing “Starry, Starry Night” but I am too shy to knock and ask him if I can copy the lyrics straight from the television. (He is singing using a videoke (video + karaoke). I was this desperate in obtaining a copy of the lyrics of “Starry, Starry Night” because I can’t find it anywhere. I stayed outside the house until my father noticed me and asked me what I was doing there. I told him that that was the song that I am looking for. He just said, “It’s Vincent”. I said, “No, it’s not Cousin Vincent singing, it’s our neighbor.” He just laughed at me and then explained to me who/what the Vincent he is talking about.
All along, I thought that the title of the song was “Starry, Starry Night”. I was intrigued who Vincent is and so I searched for it. It was Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch post-Impressionist painter. Van Gogh’s 2,000 artworks mostly tackled self-portraits and landscapes as well as cypresses, sunflowers and wheat fields. Don McLean, the songwriter of Vincent, directly refers to van Gogh’s paintings most notably the Starry Night. Other references to van Gog’s work are: flaming flowers (The Sunflower Series), field of amber grain (Wheat Field with Crows) and weathered faces (The Potato Eaters). McLean also referred to the painter’s bout for sanity and tragic death. Van Gogh suffered mental illnesses throughout his life, shooting himself dead with a revolver because of depression.
Here is the video:
Here is the lyrics with explanation:
Expressing Van Gogh's inspiration for the painting. However, one line says : "Look out on a summer's day" which is a false statement as Van Gogh was in an asylum at Saint-Remy, and was not able to paint picture from an actual view point, it is strictly from his mind. | 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 the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land. |
These are references to other Van Gogh paintings. Flaming Flowers: The Sunflower Series Swirling Clouds: Starry Night Field of Amber Grain: Wheat Field with Crows Weathered Faces: The Potato Eaters |
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 field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.
|
This is Van Gogh's tragic Death. Even though he loved painting, his paintings could never love him back.
Van Gogh attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest, which ultimately led to his death two days later. |
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. |
Van Gogh's artistic legacy is contained within his paintings, drawings and writings. They are everlasting and will never "forget" the style that created them. They are Van Gogh's eyes that watch the world. This is all metaphorically speaking though.
|
Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow. |
Finally we come to the conclusion of realizing Van Gogh's eternal struggle with insanity. |
Now I think I know 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're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will... |
Source: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starrynightlyrics.html
