I love songs that tell a story, and there are few as beautiful, and heartbreaking, as Don McLean's tribute to Van Gogh entitled, "Vincent." The opening line invokes one off Van Gogh's most famous works, "Starry Starry Night," and throughout the song, McLean weaves together scenes from various paintings with the tragic events of the painter's life.
This is my humble attempt at an arrangement of this song as performed by master guitarist, John Knowles C.G.P. I didn't have to dig deep here to find personal meaning, as it tells a beautiful story, honors the life of one of my favorite artists, and brings to mind the playing style of one of my favorite guitarists. Every time it's played, it offers one more chance for a realization of McLean's sad, yet hopeful line, "They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they'll listen now."
