"Vincent"

I'd like to dedicate the following lyrics to Mr. Barner, who in 9th grade, at Roosevelt Jr. High School, introduced me to this song in his Mass Media class. He played the song under two overlapping slide shows which displayed the broken-hearted artists master works. I sat there crying silently & I still do EVERY time I hear it.

Starry starry night
Paint your palette blue & grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees & the daffodils
Catch the breeze and 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 flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincents 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
They did 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 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 & can't forget
Like the stranger that you've met

The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed & 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 listening still
Perhaps they never will

-Don McLean