Don McLean〈Vincent〉－奶油蒼蠅的志旅記事

這首歌是為了紀念十九世紀後印象派畫家文森．梵谷而做。

梵谷是荷蘭牧師之子，
曾住過布魯塞爾、艾登、海牙、德倫特、魯恩和安特衛普等地，
梵谷居住在荷蘭時，那時期的畫作的特色，
大多用色陰暗，主要描繪當時農民的農忙及困苦的生活。

而在在聖雷米(St Remy)和奧文斯(Auvers)，
梵谷完成的作品中大多使用了鮮活的色彩如火焰般的筆法，
或許也充分顯示出他的精神深受折磨的精神狀態。

梵谷的一生坎坷不遇，他的油畫、素描、水彩等作品共計1700多件，
終其一生卻只賣出一富『紅葡萄園』。
在愛情方面，他曾經追求過有夫之婦、新寡的表姐、過氣的模特兒等等，
卻沒有誰是真心愛著他的。

落落寡合，甚至被視為異端的梵谷卻從未曾忘卻對人世間的關愛，
他曾對農夫說：我在畫布上耕犁，你在田地上耕犁。
梵谷正是如此默默地付出他的愛。

然而他所關的人們卻聯名要求市長將梵谷送瘋人院！！
1890年7月27日傍晚，梵谷在散步時用舉槍自殺。

死前，梵谷（Vincent Van Gogh，1853-1890）留下了一句話:
「La tristesse durera toujours（法語）」，
「悲傷會永遠留存（The sadness will last forever）」。

梵谷的畫總是展現著高濃度的色彩，
就像要用那些鮮豔的顏色盡情揮灑生命的能量、燦爛。

Don McLean〈Vincent〉

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...

歌詞來源：
http://lyrics.oiktv.com/lyric.php?sid=4487&aid=3791&lid=64624#ixzz0iyZmfQ2l