Don McLean performs “Vincent “ “Starry, Starry Night” “Vincent” is a song by Don McLean, written as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. Its commonly known opening lyric, “Starry, Starry Night”, is a reference to Van Gogh’s 1889 painting The Starry Night. McLean wrote the lyrics in 1970 after reading a book about the life of Van Gogh. It was released on McLean’s 1971 American Pie album; the following year, the song topped the UK Singles Chart for two weeks, and peaked at No. 12 in the United States, w