Vincent   Don McLean

Xref: undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:2594











"Vincent" from the album "American Pie"

by Don McLean


I bought this Cd mainly for the song "American pie", but when I sat 
down and listened to some of the tunes on this album I was amazed.
"Vincent" and "Empty chairs" are definatly among the better tunes 
on the album.

Listen to the album, otherwise this TAB is useless. There may be 
some mistakes, but none of any significance. Tell me what you think...
The lyrics follow after the TAB...

Have fun!



Vincent.

verse:

Stary, stary night...
  [Repeat twice each verse]
e|---------3-----3-------3-------0----------------------------------0---
b|---------0-----0-1-----1-0-----0--3---1p0-------1-0-----0-0h1---------
g|-----0h2-----0-------0-------0------0---------2-------2---------2-----
D|-0h2-------0-------0-------0----------------2-------2---------2-------
A|------------------------------------------0-------0-------0-----------
E|---------3-------3-----3-3--------3---3-------------------------------

                                                        1 verse only
e --------------------------------0p2--------3--------|-----------------
b -0---1----------1-0-----0-----1-------1--------0----|-1s3s1p0-0-------
g ---2---2------0-------0-----2-------2---0--------0--|---------0---0---
D ------------2-------2-----0------------------0------|-2s4s2p0----0--0-
A -0--------3-------3---------------------------------|-----------------
E -------------------------------------------3--------|---------3-------

Chorus:

Now I understand...
e ------------------------0-2-----------2-------------------------------
b -0-1-3-0--------0-1---3-------1-------3----------------------0---3----
g -0------------2-----2-------2---2---2---2-0---0----------------0---0--
D ------------2-------------0-----------------0---4---4-2---2------2----
A ---0-2----0-----------------------0---------------5-----2-------------
E -3----------------------------------------3-----2-----0------0--------

                                             They would not listen, ...
e -----------------------2-------2---------
b -1-----1-0---0h1-------1-------3---------
g -----0-----2-----2---2---2---2---2-------  pause
D ---2---------------0-------0-------------
A -0-------0-------------------------2-----
E -----------------------------------0-----

                                       ** 1st chorus only.
e ----------0-----------0-2-----2---3-|-------2---0--------0------------
b ------2---2---2-1---1-----1---------|---0---------0--3----------------
g ------0-------0-----0-------2-------|-----0---0--------0--------------
D ----2---2---2-----2---2-0-----------|-0-------------------------------
A --0-------------0-------------------|---------------------------------
E ----------------------------------3-|-------3--------3----------------


Bridge:

For they could not love you...
e ---------------0-----0---2-------2-----------3---------0-------------
b -0---1-3-1-------3-----------1-------3---------0-----0-------0-1---3-
g ---0---0-----2-----2---2---2---2---2---0---0-----0---------------0---
D -----------2-------------0---------------0---------0-------2---------
A -----0-2-0-------0---------------0-----------------------2-----------
E -3-------------------------------------3-------2-------0-------------


               ..took your life like lovers often do...
e --0------3------------------------------0-----------------------------
b --1------4----------0-------0---------3-------------------------------
g --0------5----------0-------2-------1---------------------------------
D --2------5--------0---0---1---1---0--------(0)------------------------
A --0------3------------------------------------------------------------
E ----------------3-------1-------0-------------------------------------


But I could have told you Vincent...
e -----------------------------------------0-2--3-----------------------
b -------------1--------1-------0--------1----------0---1---0-------0---
g -----2-------0--------0-------0------2--------------0---0---0-----0---
D ---2---2---2---2----2---2---2---2--0------------0-----2---0-----0---0-
A -0-------0--------3-------3-------------------------------------------
E ----------------------------------------------3---------------3-------


** end
e -------2---0--------0-------------------------------3-----------------
b ---0---------0--3-------1---0-----------0-----0-----------------------
g -----0---0--------0-------0---0-----0-2-----0-------------------------
D -0------------------------------0-2-------0---------------------------
A ----------------------------------------------------------------------
E -------3--------3-------3---------------3-----------------------------



Hint:
e|--3---| By holding the G chord in the "intro lick" like
b|-(1)--| this (left), it becomes easier to get the correct
g|------| flow in your playing. Finger the chord using your
D|------| left hand 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers then add your
A|--2---| 1st finger for the (1) note. See figure and TAB.
E|--3---| 


I had a problem getting the TAB to match the lyrics in the
bridge section. This helped...

Bridge:

   For they could not love you...
e ----------------------------------0----
b -0--------1-----3---1----------------3-
g -----0----------0-------------2--------  etc.
D -------------------------2-------------
A ----------0-----2---0----------------0-
E -3-------------------------------------


Detail:

Be aware in the 3rd verse at:
"Like the strangers that you've met - The ragged men in ragged clothes"
Part of the guitar between the words "...met" and "The..." is skipped.
The vocals jump ahead a bit.



Vincent 

Verse 1 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.

Chorus	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...

Verse 2	Starry, starry night
	Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
	Swirling clouds in violet haze
	Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
	Colours changing hue
	Morning fields of amber grain
	Weathered faces lined in pain
	Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Chorus	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...

Bridge	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...

Verse 3	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.

Chorus	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...


Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch Painter

Guitar part transcribed by:
Lee Francis Wilhelmsen
francis@GRIBB.hsr.no
francis@hsr.no
19(C)94.

Lyrics taken from ftp.uwp.edu