Vincent – Don McLean
“Vincent” is a song by Don McLean written as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. It is also known by its opening line, “Starry Starry Night”, a reference to Van Gogh’s 1889 painting The Starry Night. The song also describes other paintings by the artist.
McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading a book about the life of van Gogh.[1] The following year, the song became the No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart for 2 weeks.[2] and No. 12 in the US.[3] In the US, “Vincent” also hit No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 94 song for 1972.
The song makes use mainly of the guitar but also includes the accordion, marimba, and strings.
In 2000, PBS aired Don McLean: Starry, Starry Night, a concert special that was filmed in Austin, Texas.
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January 21, 2021 @ 5:43 pm
Thanks so much for posting this. Don McLean is an amazing songwriter/musician, and how apt that this was a tribute to an amazing painter. This reminds me of the tragedy of Van Gogh’s life, and it brings me to tears. We need to learn to appreciate artists of all walks while they’re still with us.
January 7, 2020 @ 4:02 pm
A beautiful song about a great artist.
January 20, 2019 @ 10:00 pm
Loved the song when it first came out, not knowing the inspiration for it at the time. It is a lovely and haunting song still.