Vincent (song)

"Vincent"
Cover art of UK vinyl release, also used for the U.S., Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and New Zealand releases
Single by Don McLean
from the album American Pie
B-side "Castles in the Air"
Released June 17, 1972
Genre Folk rock
Length 3:55
Label United Artists Records, BGO Records
Songwriter(s) Don McLean
Producer(s) Ed Freeman
Don McLean singles chronology
"American Pie"
(1971)		 "Vincent"
(1972)		 "Dreidel"
(1973)

"American Pie"
(1971)		 "Vincent"
(1972)		 "Dreidel"
(1973)

"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 by the artist. It was created on the 100th anniversary of the midpoint of Van Gogh's life.

McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading a book about the life of the artist.[1] The following year, the song became the number one hit in the UK Singles Chart for 2 weeks. [2] and No. 12 in the US.[3] It spent 12 weeks on the Hot 100. In the US, "Vincent" also hit number two on the Easy Listening chart.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 94 song for 1972.

The song makes use mainly of the guitar but also includes the accordion, marimba, and strings.

In 2000, PBS aired Don McLean: Starry, Starry Night, a concert special that was filmed in Austin, Texas.

Production

McLean said the following about the genesis of the song:

“In the autumn of 1970 I had a job singing in the school system, playing my guitar in classrooms. I was sitting on the veranda one morning, reading a biography of Van Gogh, and suddenly I knew I had to write a song arguing that he wasn’t crazy. He had an illness and so did his brother Theo. This makes it different, in my mind, to the garden variety of 'crazy’ – because he was rejected by a woman [as was commonly thought]. So I sat down with a print of Starry Night and wrote the lyrics out on a paper bag.”[5]

Critical reception

The Telegraph wrote "With its bittersweet palette of major and minor chords, Vincent’s soothing melody is one of high emotion recollected in tranquillity".[5] AllMusic retrospectively described the song as " McLean's paean to Van Gogh... sympathiz[ing] with Van Gogh's suicide as a sane comment on an insane world. "[6] The site also said McLean performs "a particularly poignant rendition of "Vincent" " on the live album Starry, Starry Night.[7]

Chart performance

Legacy

This song was the last song Tupac Shakur heard while dying in hospital after being shot in a drive-by shooting, and was played by his girlfriend as a symbolic sendoff.

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Helen (24 Feb 2010). "Don McLean interview: why I had to write 'Vincent'". The UK Telegraph. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  2. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 274. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ Jason Ankeny (1945-10-02). "Don McLean | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 166.
  5. 1 2 "Don McLean interview: Why I had to write 'Vincent' - Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. 24 February 2010.
  6. ↑ William Ruhlmann. "American Pie". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ Bruce Eder. "Starry Starry Night". AllMusic.
  8. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc)|format= requires |url= (help). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Don McLean – Vincent" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – DON MCLEAN - VINCENT". Singles Top 100.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Don McLean – Vincent" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  12. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  13. ↑ "Don McLean: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  14. ↑ "Don McLean Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "Don McLean Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  16. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 20, 1972
  17. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
  18. ↑ "Top 100 1972 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  19. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  20. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
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