Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean

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Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean

I knew of this song, but hadn’t really listened or understood it’s message until one day in art college. We had a visiting tutor who did a presentation all about Vincent Van Gogh. I was doing a graphics course and the history part of art was my least favorite lesson, really wasn't to sure how these old masterpieces were meant to help us with our logo and brand design. But this guy started off his lesson by telling us he was a friend of John Lennon’s back in his Liverpool youth and that got my attention. He went on to say how misunderstood and under rated Van Gogh's art was in his own lifetime and how Vincent had never believed people took him seriously.

I was sort of following his point, the poor artist with his own troubles trying to get his paintings appreciated, and it playing heavy on his mindset. Then at the end of the lecture he played a montage of Van Gogh's work with this song playing as its soundtrack. The song is named after one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings. I remember the song really took on a whole new emphasis for me. The lines 'They would not listen, they're not listening still, Perhaps they never will', floored me. The lecture said maybe if Van Gogh was around today he would realise that people do now worship him and his art.

It was one of the few things from college that had stayed with me. Typical of me of two years studying graphics it’s a song I took away from it. The lyrics are so brilliant observed by Don McLean, it really is a love letter to someone he obviously admired greatly. To be able to form that into such a sweet song is a proper tribute. Love the setting of the words in the music. I don’t know who that lecture was but I thank him for opening my eyes and ears (or should that be ear).

Don McLean is probably best know for another famous tribute song, American Pie, which everyone takes to be about the tragic death of Buddy Holly. That song has loads of hidden meanings that Don loves to keep to himself.

 Favourite lyric : Now, I understand what you tried to say to me / And how you suffered for your sanity

Location: Rayleigh, UK

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