Vincent - Music
Vincent by Don Mclean
Don Mclean
Artist Biography For Don Mclean
Donald McLean III Born October 2 1945 Is An American Singer-Songwriter Best Known For His 1971 Hit Song "American Pie" An 8.5-Minute Folk Rock "cultural Touchstone" About The Loss Of Innocence Of The Early Rock And Roll Generation US #1 For Four Weeks In 1972 And UK #2 . McLean's Grandfather And Father Both Also Named Donald McLean Had Roots Originating In Scotland. The Buccis The Family Of McLean's Mother Elizabeth Came From Abruzzo In Central Italy. They Left Italy And Settled In Port Chester New York At The End Of The 19th Century. He Has Other Extended Family In Los Angeles And Boston. Though Some Of His Early Musical Influences Included Frank Sinatra And Buddy Holly As A Teenager McLean Became Interested In Folk Music Particularly The Weavers' 1955 Recording At Carnegie Hall. He Often Missed Long Periods Of School Because Of Childhood Asthma Particularly Music Lessons And Although McLean Slipped Back In His Studies His Love Of Music Was Allowed To Flourish. By Age 16 He Had Bought His First Guitar And Began Making Contacts In The Music Business Becoming Friends With The Folk Singers Erik Darling And Fred Hellerman Of The Weavers. McLean Recorded Tapestry In 1969 In Berkeley California During The Student Riots. After Being Rejected 72 Times By Labels The Album Was Released By Mediarts A Label That Had Not Existed When He First Started To Look For A Label. He Worked On The Album For A Couple Of Years Before Putting It Out. It Attracted Good Reviews But Little Notice Outside The Folk Community Though On The Easy Listening Chart "Castles In The Air" Was A Success And In 1973 "And I Love You So" Became A Number 1 Adult Contemporary Hit For Perry Como. McLean's Major Break Came When Mediarts Was Taken Over By United Artists Records Thus Securing The Promotion Of A Major Label For His Second Album American Pie. The Album Launched Two Number One Hits In The Title Song And "Vincent". American Pie's Success Made McLean An International Star And Piqued Interest In His First Album Which Charted More Than Two Years After Its Initial Release. In 2004 He Was Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame. In January 2018 BMI Certified That "American Pie" And "Vincent" Had Reached Five Million And Three Million Airplays Respectively. His Composition "And I Love You So" Has Been Sung By Elvis Presley Perry Como Helen Reddy Glen Campbell And Others And In 2000 Madonna Had A Hit With A Rendition Of "American Pie". His Other Hit Singles Include "Vincent" US #12 UK #1 In 1972 "Dreidel" US #21 In 1972 A Rendition Of Roy Orbison's "Crying" US #5 UK #1 In 1980 A Rendition Of The Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You" US #23 In 1980 And "Wonderful Baby" US AC #1 In 1975 .
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Vincent
Don-Mclean - American Pie
"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 Painting The Starry Night. The Song Also Describes Different Paintings Done By The Artist. McLean Wrote The Lyrics In 1971 After Reading A Book About The Life Of The Artist.
The Following Year The Song Became The Number One Hit In The U.K. And No. 12 In The U.S. In 2000 PBS Aired Don McLean Starry Starry Night A Concert Special That Was Filmed In Austin Texas. The Song Clearly Demonstrates A Deep-Seated Admiration For Not Only The Work Of Van Gogh But Also For The Man Himself. The Song Includes References To His Landscape Works In Lines Such As "sketch The Trees And The Daffodils" And "morning Fields Of Amber Grain" - Which Describe The Amber Wheat That Features In Several Paintings. There Are Also Several Lines That May Allude To Van Gogh's Self Portraits Perhaps In "weathered Faces Lined In Pain / Are Soothed Beneath The Artist's Loving Hand" McLean Is Suggesting That Van Gogh May Have Found Some Sort Of Consolation In Creating Portraits Of Himself. There Is Too A Single Line Describing Van Gogh's Most Famous Set Of Works Sunflowers. "Flaming Flowers That Brightly Blaze" Draws Not Only On The Luminous Orange And Yellow Colours Of The Painting But Also Creates Powerful Images Of The Sun Itself Flaming And Blazing Being Contained Within The Flowers And The Painting. In Each Chorus McLean Pays Tribute To Van Gogh By Reflecting On His Lack Of Recognition "They Would Not Listen / They Did Not Know How / Perhaps They'll Listen Now " Except In The Final Verse McLean Says "They Would Not Listen / They're Not Listening Still / Perhaps They Never Will." This Is The Story Of Van Gogh Unrecognised As An Artist Until After His Death. The Lyrics Suggest That Van Gogh Was Trying To "set People Free" With The Message In His Work. McLean Feels That This Message Was Made Clear To Him "And Now I Understand What You Tried To Say To Me " He Sings. Perhaps It Is This Eventual Understanding That Inspired McLean To Write The Song. It Is Also Thought That The Song Intends To Portray Van Gogh's Tough Relationship With His Family. They Were A Wealthy Family Who Did Not Accept Him For His Schizophrenia "for They Could Not Love You" And Never Understood His Will To Help The Poor. It Is Thought That Van Gogh Felt That In Killing Himself He Would Make The Point To His Parents. This Is Seen In The Line "Perhaps They'll Listen Now." Many Believe That The Song Is A Touching Tribute To Van Gogh In Respect Of The Hardship He Faced With Regards To His Mental Illness And His Admirable Good Natured Ways. There Are Also References To Van Gogh's Sanity And His Suicide. Throughout His Life Van Gogh Was Plagued With Mental Disorders Particularly Depression. He "suffered For His Sanity" And Eventually "took His Life As Lovers Often Do." The Word "lover" Puts Into Context How McLean Saw The Relationship Of Van Gogh With His Art - A Relationship Of Love. This Love Was Strong Enough For Van Gogh To Persevere With His Art Even Without Acceptance From His Contemporaries "For They Could Not Love You But Still Your Love Was True." There Is A Great Lyrics Translation In German On Http //www.Swr.De/swr1/rp/musik/songbook/-/id 446740/nid 446740/did 598410/1a6wjpg/index.Html
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Biography - Don Mclean
Donald McLean III Born October 2 1945 Is An American Singer-Songwriter Best Known For His 1971 Hit Song "American Pie" An 8.5-Minute Folk Rock "cultural Touchstone" About The Loss Of Innocence Of The Early Rock And Roll Generation US #1 For Four Weeks In 1972 And UK #2 . McLean's Grandfather And Father Both Also Named Donald McLean Had Roots Originating In Scotland. The Buccis The Family Of McLean's Mother Elizabeth Came From Abruzzo In Central Italy. They Left Italy And Settled In Port Chester New York At The End Of The 19th Century. He Has Other Extended Family In Los Angeles And Boston. Though Some Of His Early Musical Influences Included Frank Sinatra And Buddy Holly As A Teenager McLean Became Interested In Folk Music Particularly The Weavers' 1955 Recording At Carnegie Hall. He Often Missed Long Periods Of School Because Of Childhood Asthma Particularly Music Lessons And Although McLean Slipped Back In His Studies His Love Of Music Was Allowed To Flourish. By Age 16 He Had Bought His First Guitar And Began Making Contacts In The Music Business Becoming Friends With The Folk Singers Erik Darling And Fred Hellerman Of The Weavers. McLean Recorded Tapestry In 1969 In Berkeley California During The Student Riots. After Being Rejected 72 Times By Labels The Album Was Released By Mediarts A Label That Had Not Existed When He First Started To Look For A Label. He Worked On The Album For A Couple Of Years Before Putting It Out. It Attracted Good Reviews But Little Notice Outside The Folk Community Though On The Easy Listening Chart "Castles In The Air" Was A Success And In 1973 "And I Love You So" Became A Number 1 Adult Contemporary Hit For Perry Como. McLean's Major Break Came When Mediarts Was Taken Over By United Artists Records Thus Securing The Promotion Of A Major Label For His Second Album American Pie. The Album Launched Two Number One Hits In The Title Song And "Vincent". American Pie's Success Made McLean An International Star And Piqued Interest In His First Album Which Charted More Than Two Years After Its Initial Release. In 2004 He Was Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame. In January 2018 BMI Certified That "American Pie" And "Vincent" Had Reached Five Million And Three Million Airplays Respectively. His Composition "And I Love You So" Has Been Sung By Elvis Presley Perry Como Helen Reddy Glen Campbell And Others And In 2000 Madonna Had A Hit With A Rendition Of "American Pie". His Other Hit Singles Include "Vincent" US #12 UK #1 In 1972 "Dreidel" US #21 In 1972 A Rendition Of Roy Orbison's "Crying" US #5 UK #1 In 1980 A Rendition Of The Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You" US #23 In 1980 And "Wonderful Baby" US AC #1 In 1975 .
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"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 painting The Starry Night. The song also describes different paintings done by the artist.
McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading a book about the life of the artist.
The following year, the song became the number one hit in the U.K. and No. 12 in the U.S.
In 2000, PBS aired Don McLean: Starry, Starry Night, a concert special that was filmed in Austin, Texas.
The song clearly demonstrates a deep-seated admiration for not only the work of van Gogh, but also for the man himself. The song includes references to his landscape works, in lines such as "sketch the trees and the daffodils" and "morning fields of amber grain" - which describe the amber wheat that features in several paintings. There are also several lines that may allude to van Gogh's self portraits: perhaps in "weathered faces lined in pain / are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand", McLean is suggesting that van Gogh may have found some sort of consolation in creating portraits of himself. There is, too, a single line describing van Gogh's most famous set of works, Sunflowers. "Flaming flowers that brightly blaze" draws not only on the luminous orange and yellow colours of the painting, but also creates powerful images of the sun itself, flaming and blazing, being contained within the flowers and the painting.
In each chorus, McLean pays tribute to Van Gogh by reflecting on his lack of recognition: "They would not listen / they did not know how / perhaps they'll listen now," except in the final verse, McLean says "They would not listen / They're not listening still / Perhaps they never will." This is the story of van Gogh: unrecognised as an artist until after his death. The lyrics suggest that van Gogh was trying to "set [people] free" with the message in his work. McLean feels that this message was made clear to him: "And now I understand what you tried to say to me," he sings. Perhaps it is this eventual understanding that inspired McLean to write the song.
It is also thought that the song intends to portray van Gogh's tough relationship with his family. They were a wealthy family who did not accept him for his schizophrenia ("for they could not love you") and never understood his will to help the poor. It is thought that van Gogh felt that in killing himself he would make the point to his parents. This is seen in the line "Perhaps they'll listen now." Many believe that the song is a touching tribute to van Gogh in respect of the hardship he faced with regards to his mental illness and his admirable good natured ways.
There are also references to van Gogh's sanity and his suicide. Throughout his life, van Gogh was plagued with mental disorders, particularly depression. He "suffered for his sanity" and eventually "took [his] life, as lovers often do." The word "lover" puts into context how McLean saw the relationship of van Gogh with his art - a relationship of love. This love was strong enough for van Gogh to persevere with his art even without acceptance from his contemporaries: "For they could not love you, but still your love was true."
There is a great lyrics translation in german on http://www.swr.de/swr1/rp/musik/songbook/-/id=446740/nid=446740/did=598410/1a6wjpg/index.html Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.