这首歌是美国民谣歌手Don McLean为纪念荷兰的伟大画家文森特.梵高（Vincent van Gogh）而作，收录在那张为其赢来巨大声誉的专辑《American Pie》里。歌曲创作的灵感来自梵高的一幅著名的画作《Starry Starry Night》（星夜），旋律流畅得浑如天成，词作也是如画般的唯美，让人想起德国小说家施笃姆的诗意小说中大段大段描写的空蒙月色，整首曲子的配器就是一把木吉他，极致的简约之美。据说在阿姆斯特丹的梵高纪念馆前，人们总能听到这首歌被一遍遍地播放。

   正如Don McLean在他的American Pie (美国派) 中所唱的那样，刚开始时他只是个报童。总觉得所有重要的事情都已被那些大人物们说过做过了，Don MeLean 尝试着做起了音乐。在1960年代的中后期，McLean 在纽约的哈得孙谷声名鹊起。他沿河一路吟唱，被人称为“哈得孙河行呤诗人”。在这期间，他遇到了Pete Seeger，并加入了“单桅帆船歌手”，一个宣传尊重环境的团体。

《Vincent》歌词：How you suffered for your sanity ？你为自己的清醒承受了多少苦痛


Starry, starry night 繁星点点的深夜
Paint your palette blue and gray 你的画板涂满了灰蓝
Look out on a summer's day 你在那夏日向远处眺望
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul 用你那双能洞悉我灵魂的双眼
Shadows on the hills 影象重叠的重重群山
Sketch the trees and daffodils 点缀着茂密的树林和美丽的水仙
Catch the breeze and the winter chills 颜色跳跃在雪白的亚麻布上
In colors on the snowy linen land 捕捉着冬去春来的乍暖还寒

Now I understand what you tried to say to me 如今我才明白你想对我说的是什么
and How you suffered for your sanity 你为自己的清醒承受了多少苦痛
How you tried to set them free 你多么的努力想让他们得到解脱
They would not listen, they did not know how 却无人理会无人倾听
Perhaps, they'll listen now 也许，现在人们已有所改变

Starry, starry night 繁星点点的深夜
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze 火红的花朵像燃烧的火焰
Swirling clouds in violet haze 舒卷的云朵似紫罗兰的娇颜
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue 映射在文森特湛蓝而忧郁的双眼
Colors changing hue 色彩变化万千
Morning fields of amber grain 清晨里琥珀色的田野
Weathered faces lined in pain 满布风霜的脸孔刻画着痛苦
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand 在绘画时才充满了爱的笔下得到了抚慰

Now I understand what you tried to say to me 如今我才明白你想对我说的是什么

How you suffered for your sanity 你为自己的清醒承受了多少苦痛
And how you tried to set them free 你多么的努力想让他们得到解脱
They would not listen, they did not know how 却无人理会无人倾听
Perhaps, they'll listen now 也许，现在人们已有所改变
For they could not love you 因为他们当时无法爱你
And still your love was true 可你的爱却依然真实
And when no hope was left inside 当内心的希望全部破灭
on that starry, starry night 在那个繁星点点夜晚
You took your life as lovers often do 你像许多绝望的恋人般结束了自己的生命
But I could have told you, Vincent 但我却没能告诉你，文森特
This world was never meant 这个世界根本配不上
for one as beautiful as you 生命如此灿烂的你

(转自周忆清的BLOG：http://monalisasmile.blog.sohu.com/64879201.html)