Thesongwaswr i

tt
enorcomposedbyDonMcl eani
n1971.Thel
yri
csofthesongwasori
ginal
l
y
wri
tteni
napaperbag.I
naddi
ti
on,i
twasinspi
redbyt hebi
ogr
aphyi
fVincentVanGogh,
known
asthefamous.

Anot
heri
nter
est
ingf
acti
sthatMcl
eanst
umbl
edupont
oreadt
hebookwhenhewasi
ninsi
de
t
hecl
assr
oom.

Hedi
dnotagr
eet
owhatot
herpeopl
eper
cei
vedVanGogh.

McLeanunder
standst
hest
ruggl
esoft
hear
ti
sts.

I
naddi
ti
on,

Hisdesi
ret
owr i
teasongaboutVincent,
argui
ngt
hatVanGoghi
snotcr
azybutt
hathewasonl
y
suff
eri
ngfr
om anil
lness.Cal
l
ed(Schiz
ophreni
cdi
sor
der)

Meani
ng

*
Itt
ell
sastor
yofVincentVanGogh.Afamouspost
-i
mpr
essi
oni
stpai
nter
.Itdepi
ctssomeof
t
heart
worksofVi
ncent.Fori
nst
ance:

St
arr
y,St
arr
yNi
ght=t
hePai
nti
ngSt
arr
yNi
ght

v
erseFl
ami
ngFl
ower
sthatbr
ight
lybl
aze=Sunf
lower
s

Mor
ningf
iel
dsofambergr
ain=Wheatf
iel
dwi
thcr
ows

Swi
rl
ingCl
oudsi
npur
plehaze=Anot
herv
ersi
onofSt
arr
yNi
ght

“
Vincent
’sey
esofchi
nabl
ue”
=SELF-
PORTRAI
T

*
• Thechor
usshowshowMcl eanunderst
andst
hesuf
fer
ingsof
Vincentt
hroughhi
sil
l
ness,
t
hathehadputi
ntoanasy
lum Thelyr
icsgoesbyas:

Now,
Iunder
standwhaty
out
ri
edt
osayt
ome
Andhowy
ousuf
fer
edf
ory
oursani
ty

Andhowy
out
ri
edt
osett
hem f
ree

*
THELYRI CSALSOSTATESHOW vangoghwasunr
ecogni
zedbackt
hen,
andhowpeopl
e
misunder
stoodhi
m asamadman

•• I
talsostatesint
hechorusabouthowhewasnotr ecogni
zedorappreci
atedasahuman
beingorev enthroughhi
sartworks.Aswet r
aceditbackintohisl
ifestor
y,Hehasmor et
han
800oi l
painti
ngsand700dr awingsthatconsti
tut
ehisli
fe’
swor k,buthesoldonl
yoneinhis
l
ifeti
me.

• Peopl
eduringhi
slif
eti
medidnotunderst
andhim,andhewasl abel
ledasamadmanf or
l
i
vingandact i
ngl
ikeatrueChri
sti
an.Chur
chauthor
it
iessaidthathet
ookli
ter
all
ythe
i
nter
pretat
ionofChri
sti
anteachi
ng,asheli
veamongt hepoorandgaveawayallhi
spossessi
on

If
eltsad

Thesongwasempat
hizi
ng.If
eltsad

AsDonMcleannarr
atesorsi
ngthr
ought hel
yri
csoft
hesong,Ifeell
ikeIwasfeel
i
ngthepain
thatt
hef
amouspost-i
mpressi
oni
stpaint
erhavegonethr
ough.List
eningt
hroughtheChor
us,
youcanf
eelthepai
nthatVanGoghfeel.

TheFeeli
ngofunappr
eci
ated.Hehasmoret
han800oil
paint
ingsand700dr
awi
ngst
hat
const
it
utehi
sli
fe’
swork,buthesol
donl
yoneinhi
sli
fet
ime.

Despi
tethi
s,hest
il
lconti
nuestodowhathel
ovest
odo,.Whichi
spai
nti
ng.Ev
enwhenhewas
admit
tedinanasyl
um, hest
il
lfi
ndswaytodr
awoutimages.Usi
nghi
smemory.
Evenhim asahumanbei
ng,
hewasal
sounappr
eci
ated.Hewasmi
sunder
stooddur
inghi
sti
me.
Peopl
ewouldnot

• Peopl
eduringhi
slif
eti
medidnotunderst
andhim,andhewasl abel
ledasamadmanf or
l
i
vingandact i
ngl
ikeatrueChri
sti
an.Chur
chauthor
it
iessaidthathet
ookli
ter
all
ythe
i
nter
pretat
ionofChri
sti
anteachi
ng,asheli
veamongt hepoorandgaveawayallhi
spossessi
on.

• i
ndeedIagr
eet
hatThi
swor
ldwasnev
ermeantf
oroneAsbeaut
if
ulasVi
ncent
.

VanGoghwascommer ci
all
yunsuccessf
ulduringhi
slif
eti
me,andhewasconsi
der
eda
madmanandaf ail
ure.Asheonlybecamef amousafterhi
ssui
cide,
hecametobeseenasa
misunder
stoodgeni
usinthepubli
cimaginati
on