Vincent

Starry, starry night

Don McLean, Vincent

梵高

Starry, starry night

Paint your palette blue and gray

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

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 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

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 in sight

On that starry, starry night

You took your life, as lovers often do

But I could've told you Vincent

This world was never meant for

One as beautiful as you

Starry, starry night

Portraits hung in empty halls

Frame-less heads on nameless walls

With eyes that watch the world and can't forget

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

“在1970年秋天，我在学校工作。一个早晨，我正坐在游廊里读梵高的传记。我觉得我得写一首歌来表明梵高并不是疯子，他仅仅是有疾病正如他弟弟西奥一样。我认为，他是因为被一个女人拒绝（这一事件广泛流传）而进入这样一个‘疯狂’的世界。我拿着一副梵高的星空坐下，并在纸袋上写下了歌词。”——Brown, Helen. Don McLean interview: why I had to write ‘Vincent’.

我第一次听到这首歌，是在将近十年以前。那时，我在网上找到几张专辑，全都是女性歌手以爵士乐的方式演绎原创或经典歌曲，风格清新，婉转悦耳。当我一听到女歌手Sarah Morrau演唱的Vincent时，瞬间就被打动了。那时我不知道这首歌唱的是什么，只是喜欢它的旋律，和女歌手的嗓音。后来，当我仔细阅读它的歌词时，发现这是一首献给梵高的歌。

“繁星点点的夜，用你的调色板调出蓝与灰……”

梵高在他活着的时候，不被人理解，死后却享誉全世界，这在他的人生经历上增添了一抹传奇的色彩。解读他的画作的，分析他的性格的，撰写他的传记的，文章或书籍层出不穷。人们终于理解他了吗？我想未必。有人说他是疯子，有人说他是天才。但当我在美术课本上看到《星夜》这幅画时，我被他的艺术深深地折服了。

这漩涡般的星空透露着躁动，但在其下方的城镇，却那样安宁。这是否意味着梵高的身体里有两种矛盾的力量在撕扯着他，分别掌控了不同的自我，在同一块画布上表达了各自的存在呢？还有那如黑色火焰般直冲天际的树木，它为何那样倔强？还有那如波浪般翻滚的山丘，它为何那样热烈？

是什么造就了这幅画？梵高在绘制这幅画的时候，他处于怎样的精神状态？1888年，梵高割下自己的左耳，送给一位妓女，随后住进了普罗旺斯地区圣雷米的一家精神病院治疗，就在那里，他创作了大量绘画作品，其中就包括这幅《星夜》。

Don McLean的这首Vincent使他在当年夺得英国单曲排行榜的第一名。这首歌也让很多听众产生了共鸣，成为了梵高博物馆天天伴随梵高画作播放的歌曲。

Vincent, Sarah Morrau, covered Don McLean’s