Vincent - Don McLean (1971) The words and imagery of this song represent the life, work, and death of Vincent Van Gogh. The opening line, "Starry, starry night," refers to A Starry Night, one of the Dutch impressionist's most famous paintings. This song, and Van Gogh's painting, reflect what it's like to be misunderstood. Van Gogh painted "Starry Night" after committing himself to an asylum in 1889. He wrote that night was "more richly colored than the day," but he couldn't go outside to see the