Vincent | Chords + Lyrics
Verse 1
| N.C G69 | G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
Starry, starry night. Paint your palette blue and gray.
| Am Asus2 | C Cmaj7 | D7 | G G69 |
Look out on a summer’s day. With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
| G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
Shadows on the hills. Sketch the trees and the daffodils.
| Am Asus2 | C Cmaj7 | D7 | G C/G Gmaj7 | G Gadd4 |
Catch the breeze and the winter chills. In colors on the snowy linen land.
Chorus 1
| Amadd4 | D7 D7/A | G G/F# | Em Emb6 |
Now I understand. What you tried to say to me.
| Am Asus2 | D7 |5/4 Em |
And how you suffered for your sanity. How you tried to set them free.
|4/4 A7 | Am D7 | G Gmaj7 G6 | G G69 |
They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they’ll listen now.
Verse 2
| G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
Starry, starry night. Flaming flowers that brightly blaze.
| Am Asus2 | C Cmaj7 | D7 | G G69 |
Swirling clouds in violet haze. Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china-blue
| G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
Colors changing hue. Morning fields of amber grain.
| Am Asus2 | C Cmaj7 | D7 | G Gadd4 |
Weathered faces lined in pain. Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.
Chorus 2
| Amadd4 | D7 D7/A | G G/F# | Em Emb6 |
Now I understand. What you tried to say to me.
| Am Asus2 | D7 | Em |
And how you suffered for your sanity. And how you tried to set them free.
| A7 | Am D7 | G Gadd4 |
They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they’ll listen now.
Middle 8
| Amadd4 | D7 D7/A | G G/F# | Em Emb6 |
For they could not love you. But still your love was true.
| Am | Cm |
And when no hope was left in sight on that starry, starry night.
| G F | E | Am Asus2 |
You took your life as lovers often do. But I could’ve told you, Vincent.
| C |3/4 D7 |4/4 G (C/G) | G G69 |
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.
Verse 3
| G Gsus4 | G Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
Starry, starry night. Portraits hung in empty halls.
| Am Asus2 | C | D7 | G G69 |
Frameless heads on nameless walls. With eyes that watch this world and can’t forget.
| G Gsus4 |2/4 G |4/4 Am Asus2 |
Like the strangers that you’ve met. The ragged men in ragged clothes.
| Am Asus2 | C | D7 | G C/G Gmaj7 |
A silver thorn of bloody rose. Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Chorus 3
| Am Am7 | D7 | G G/F# | Em |
Now I think I know. What you tried to say to me.
| Am Am7 | D7 | Em |
And how you suffered for your sanity. And how you tried to set them free.
| A7 | Am D7 | G Gmaj7 | G6 G69 | G |
They would not listen, they’re not listening still. Perhaps they never will.
Vincent Chords: How to Navigate the Complex Progressions
The chords and lyrics of Vincent can be challenging to master. The lyrics begin early, and the tempo fluctuates with plenty of ritardando and even some odd time signatures. The only other song I can think of with a similar feel is Eva Cassidy’s version of Over The Rainbow.
For Vincent, I strongly believe that chords and lyrics should be kept separate. If you’re both singing and playing, it’s essential to first learn the guitar part independently.
Here are the verse chords without lyrics. Although the extensions might seem tricky, they are essentially part of a diatonic chord progression of I – II – IV – V on repeat. Here’s how it looks:
| N.C G69 (I) | G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am (II) Asus2 |
| Am Asus2 | C (IV) Cmaj7 | D7 (V) | G G69 |
| G Gsus4 | G G6 Gsus4 | Am Asus2 |
| Am Asus2 | C Cmaj7 | D7 | G C/G (Gmaj7) | G Gadd4 |
For a deeper understanding, here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Vincent – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The chorus is more intricate, and without the lyrics, it looks like this:
| Amadd4 | D7 D7/A | G G/F# | Em Emb6 |
| Am Asus2 | D7 |5/4 Em |
|4/4 A7 | Am D7 | G Gmaj7 G6 | G G69 |
Once again, it’s the extensions that make the progression appear complicated. Using Roman numerals, it’s simply:
II – V – I – VI
II – V – VI
IIx – II – V – I
To get the extensions and picking pattern just right, you’ll need the TAB. Once you’ve mastered the part, this chord chart will serve as a useful reminder.
Since the chords change frequently, I had to create a two-page chart to fit all of Vincent’s chords. Here it is:
Vincent Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Vincent chord chart PDF, page 1. As mentioned, I couldn’t fit all this on one page so here’s page 2: Vincent chord chart PDF, page 2.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Vincent chord chart iReal Pro, page 1, and page 2.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key although I don’t think that’s a great idea…
Vincent: One of Two Songs That Enabled Don McLean to Retire
When Don McLean was preparing to release his second album, his label was acquired by United Artists, giving him a significantly broader reach than his previous label, Liberty.
Two songs from this album, Vincent and the title track American Pie, became massive hits, helping the album sell a combined 7 million copies.
The immense radio airplay these two songs received ensured McLean’s financial freedom for life, a fact he openly acknowledged when asked about the impact of American Pie.
However, despite having seemingly cracked the formula for writing a hit with these two iconic songs, McLean never repeated the same level of chart-topping success.
Vincent Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Vincent (Don McLean) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: