一首老歌 — Vincent

September 26, 2007 in Music by zeal | 3 comments

Don McLean的这首歌也是当年从某一期的“音乐天堂”里第一次听到的。那一期的“音乐天堂”也很多抢耳的东西（如果我没有记错的话是Vol. 7)，对于高中时代的我来说，非常容易就被Soul Asylum的”Runaway Train”, Pearl Jam的Alive, 4 Non Blondes的What’s Up，或者Mr. Big的Wild World给吸引去了。大家交换磁带听，也不乏喜欢All for love，或者I’d Do Anything For Love的。但是B面的这一首献给梵高的Vincent在一开始却不是那么抢眼。只知道据说这首歌描述了梵高的几幅画作。一眨眼十几年就过去了。多年之后，让我最常想起来的还是这首淡淡的Vincent。Starry, starry night …..的轻叹浅唱，是一天奔波之后，让人摆脱烦躁的一剂良药。

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’ve 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, a 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.