“Starry, starry night, paint your palette blue and grey…” Don McLean 的名曲之一，是民歌中的的杰作。这首歌是 Don McLean 在看完 Vincent van Gogh 的传记之后写的。这首歌的歌词隐含了不少有关 van Gogh 的作品和事迹。象其他的民歌一样，Vincent 的结构很简单，歌词却令人深思。当然，我们当年在camping 的时候，一边弹 guitar 一边唱这歌的时候，根本不会体会歌词里面的意思；只不过是在女孩子面前显摆一下罢了。二十多年的今天，虽然明白它想说些什么，但自问永远没法了解那一份歌词所描写的对艺术的执着和无人体会的沉郁。
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.
And now I understand 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 did not know how
perhaps they'll listen now.
Starry
starry night
flaming flo'rs that brightly blaze
swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in
Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue
morning fields of amber grain
weathered faces lined in pain
are soothed beneath the artist's
loving hand.
And now I understand what you tried to say to me
how you suffered for your sanity
how you tried to set them free.
perhaps they'll listen now.
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.
Starry
starry night
portraits hung in empty halls
frameless heads on nameless walls
with eyes
that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the stranger that you've met
the ragged men in ragged clothes
the silver thorn of bloddy rose
lie crushed and broken
on the virgin snow.
And 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
list'ning still
perhaps they never will.