Saturday, December 20, 2008

Starry Night

I heard this composition, soothing and at the same time stirring in some strange way by Don McLean during my college days.




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.

Van Gogh's inspiration for the painting. However, one line says : "Look out on a summer's day." which is a false statement as Van Gogh was in an asylum at Saint-Remy, and was not able to paint picture from an actual view point, it is strictly from his mind.

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 field of amber grain, Weathered faces lined in pain, Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

These are references to other Van Gogh paintings. # Flaming Flowers: The Sunflower Series # Swirling Clouds: Starry Night # Field of Amber Grain: Wheat Field with Crows # Weathered Faces: The Potato Eaters.

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.

This is Van Gogh's tragic Death. Even though he loved painting, his paintings could never love him back.Van Gogh attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest, which ultimately led to his death two days later.

Starry, starry night. Portraits hung in empty halls, frameless head on nameless walls, With eyes that watch the world and can't forget. Like the strangers that you've met, The ragged men in the ragged clothes, The silver thorn of bloody rose, Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Van Gogh's artistic legacy is contained within his paintings, drawings and writings. They are everlasting and will never "forget" the style that created them. They are Van Gogh's eyes that watch the world. This is all metaphorically speaking though.

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...

Finally we come to the conclusion of realizing Van Gogh's eternal struggle with insanity.


Lyrics and background Credits : http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starrynightlyrics.html

3 comments:

Harini Sridharan said...

wow, interesting tidbits!

sandeep said...

I loved this song the first time I heard it, didn't know much about the lyrics and the story...

Anonymous said...

Although from different places, but this perception is consistent, which is relatively rare point!