Don Mclean(唐.马克林)于1945年10月2日出生于美国纽约。60年代早期Don在纽约州的俱乐部中以灌制唱片开始了他的演艺生涯,大多数时间里,Don是一名游吟歌手。《vincent》是Don于1970年有感于梵高《星空》而作的音乐献辞,这首歌有许多版本,众多歌手都翻唱过。或许大多数歌唱家、音乐家都跟梵高有着类似的经历,成名之前,经过多年艰苦奋斗仍没有得到认可,默默无闻。这让他们对梵高的痛苦更感同身受,所以他们借这首歌来表达自己与梵高一样的感受。
70年代中期Don的演艺事业却陷入了困境,好在他是一名具有强烈自我意识的歌手,1980年他凭借一曲Crying重登排行榜。之后,他的再版旧专辑也引起轰动,他个人也因此而进行大规模巡回演出。80年代以后,Don转向乡村音乐发展,不过仍处于流行音乐的主流。
文森特《Vincent》中英对照歌词:
Starry, starry night 那夜繁星点点,
Paint your palette blue and gray 你在画板上涂抹着灰与蓝。
Look out on a summer’s day 夏日里轻瞥一眼,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul 便将我灵魂的阴霾洞穿。
Shadows on the hills 暗影铺满群山,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils 树木与水仙花点缀其间,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills 用雪原斑驳的色彩,
In colors on the snowy linen land 捕捉着微风与料峭冬寒。
Now I understand 我终于读懂了,
What you tried to say to me 你当时的肺腑之言。
How you suffered for your sanity 独醒于众人间的你是那么痛苦,
How you tried to set them free 你多想解开被禁锢者的系绊。
They would not listen 可他们却充耳不闻,
They did not know how 对你视若不见。
Perhaps they’ll listen now 也许,现在听还为时不晚……
Starry, starry night 那夜繁星点点,
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze 鲜花盛放,火般绚烂。
Swirling clouds in violet haze 紫幕轻垂,云舒云卷。
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue 都逃不过文森特湛蓝的双眼。
Colors changing hue 色彩变化万千,
Morning fields of amber grain 清晨琥珀色的谷田,
Weathered faces lined in pain 张张饱经风霜与苦痛的脸,
Are smoothed beneath the artist’s Loving hand 在画家笔下渐渐舒展。
Now I understand 我终于读懂了,
What you tried to say to me 你当时的肺腑之言。
How you suffered for your sanity 独醒于众人间的你是那么痛苦,
How you tried to set them free 你多想解开被禁锢者的系绊。
They would not listen 可他们却充耳不闻,
They did not know how 对你视若不见。
Perhaps they’ll listen now 也许,现在听还为时不晚……
For they could not love you 他们根本不会在乎你,
But still your love was true 你对他们的爱却未曾改变。
And when no hope was left inside 当最后一点希望都一去不返,
On that starry, starry night 在那繁星点点的夜晚,
You took your life 你愤然结束自己的生命,
As lovers often do 如热恋中盲目的人儿一般。
But I could have told you, Vincent 文森特,我本该告诉你。
This world was never meant for one 像你这样美好的灵魂,
As beautiful as you 本就不该来这肮脏的世间。
Starry, starry night 那夜繁星点点,
Portraits hung in empty halls 空旷的大厅里画作高悬。
Frameless heads on nameless walls 无名的墙上无框的肖像,
With eyes that watch the world 用注视整个世界的双眼,
And can’t forget 把一切刻在心田。
Like the strangers that you’ve met 就像你曾遇见的匆匆过客,
The ragged men in ragged clothes 褴褛的人身着破烂的衣衫。
The silver thorn of bloody rose 血红玫瑰上银白的利刺,
Lie crushed and broken 零落成泥、摧折寸断,
On the virgin snow 散落于皑皑雪间。
Now I think I know 我想我现在懂了,
What you tried to say to me 你当时的肺腑之言。
How you suffered for your sanity 独醒于众人间的你是那么痛苦,
How you tried to set them free 你多想解开被禁锢者的系绊。
They will not listen 而他们根本不会去听,
They’re not listening still 此刻,仍无人在听。
Perhaps, they never will 也许,永远。