【一天分享一首歌之第24天】〈Vincent〉/ Don McLean
大年初四，祝我農曆生日快樂。今天來聽一首許多人熟悉的老歌，是唐恩麥克林45年前寫來緬懷畫家梵谷的〈Vincent〉——或在許多人記憶中，這首歌叫做〈Starry Starry Night〉。「Starry, starry night / Paint your palette blue and gray...」輕巧的吉他搭配清透的歌聲，是音樂最純直美麗的模樣。
據麥克林自己說，這首歌詞是他在一次空閒時讀完梵谷的傳記，靈感與衝動一來，即時寫完的。一句句其實精心地指涉了好多張梵谷的畫作，或畫中常見的元素如麥田、太陽花、或他的自畫像：「Portraits hung in empty halls / Frameless heads on nameless walls / With eyes that watch the world and can't forget」真是好孤單的臉龐。
但他真正想表達、想唱的是：「如今我終於明白，那些你試著告訴我的，那種種理性帶給你的痛，及你多麼想要透過藝術，帶給他們自由⋯⋯只可惜他們不懂。他們大概永遠不會懂。（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）」
藝術創作是孤獨的，是在私密的花園等待靈感降臨，靈感可能永遠不會來，也可能眷顧了你一陣子，又突然消失了。留下茫然無助的自己在原地，急著想回到過去，都快急哭了。然從梵谷暴烈的一生，那日益扭曲狂亂的視野中，唐恩麥克林讀到了他想掙脫，想留住雙眼看見的風景，想尋求自由的那種美麗。而他用歌聲表達這一切，表達他的疼惜和不捨，表達對那濃烈的星光閃爍的夜空的嚮往。那佈滿星星的夜呀，是多麼想被瞭解，多麼渴望被擁抱？
今晚話有點太多了。跟大家分享這首，讓我們再聽一次心疼的歌聲。晚安囉。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7tx1Un4shU
#一天分享一首歌
“Vincent” by Don McLean
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 inside
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 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
