Don McLean, best known for his hit "American Pie," released another iconic song 55 years ago. "Vincent," also known as "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)," was inspired by Vincent van Gogh's famous 1889 painting. «Starry Night» .
In an interview In 2022, McLean spoke to Forbes about the song's origins. «I read a book about Van Gogh and his brother,„ he said. “I thought, ‘Since the brother and Vincent had similar illnesses, wouldn’t it be interesting to write about that?’ But how do I do that? I mean, singing from one person about his art and death to another can be very silly unless you find a way to make the song beautiful and elegant. I like beautiful things, and I have a bit of elegance myself. And then it hit me. All I had to do was look at „"Starry Night" “"When I did this, the painting wrote a song. I don't come up with a melody first and then add lyrics. I just sing into a tape recorder, and the song comes right out of me.".
McLean also revealed how long it took to write the song. "It probably took a couple of hours to write 'Vincent,'" he said. "I still have the lyrics written on that green piece of paper I used to carry with me.".
These words, scrawled on green paper, were put up for auction and sold for over a million dollars. Gary Zimet, a rare document dealer, said, "They're written in pencil. There are some corrections. They're very minor differences from the final lyrics, which shows he really thought the song through when he wrote it.".
On the topic: The classic 1973 soul track, which became an iconic song of seduction, was released 53 years ago.
When "Vincent" was first released, it topped the UK Singles Chart and reached number 2 on the US Easy Listening chart. Billboard also included the song in the list of the 100 best songs of 1972.
McLean is now 80 years old. He still tours. When asked why he continues to do so, he replied, "This is what I do. I'm not myself if I don't do it. Not doing it would be far more negative and harmful than if I did. This work is life-affirming.".
This article was originally published by Parade on June 7, 2026, in the Entertainment section. Add Parade to your list of recommended sources by clicking here.