Vincent Chords

by Don McLean
78,545 views, added to favorites 3,714 times
The aim is here to create a chord version to fingerpick as close as possible to the original for those colleagues who can't read note music (as myself). Chords really intended for fingerpicking, not strumming. In the chord diagram the G chord appears in several versions (made clear with number between brackets). Please play the chords like depicted in the chord diagrams at the bottom, otherwise it will sound not like the original. Thanks for all the appreciation.Was this info helpful?
Difficulty: intermediate
Tuning: E A D G B E
Capo: no capo
Author Suntpomae [a] 335.
3 contributors total, last edit on Dec 10, 2018
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Chords

G
Gsus4
Am
Asus2
Am/C
Asus2/C
D7
G5
G/F#
Em
Am7
A7
Asus4
Cm
F6#11
E7
C
Gadd9

Strumming

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[Intro]
G Gsus4   G Gsus4  G Gsus4  G
 
[Verse 1]
               G     Gsus4  G
Starry, starry night,
                   Am       Asus2   Am
Paint your palette blue and grey.
Am            Am/C     Asus2/C
Look out on a summer's day
     D7                                G
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Gsus4          G     Gsus4  G
Shadows on the hills,
G                        Am   Asus2   Am
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Am                       Am/C   Asus2/C
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
   D7                         G
In colours on the snowy linen land.
 
[Interlude 1]
Gsus4  G5  Gsus4  G  G
 
[Chorus 1]
G          Am    Asus2   D7
Now I understand
D7                G      G/F#  Em
What you tried to say to me.
Em                        Am7     D7
How you suffered for your sanity
D7                        Em
How you tried to set them free.
                                A7           Am7
They would not listen, they did not know how
   D7                  G
Perhaps they'll listen now?
 
[Interlude 2]
GM7(no5)  G6(no5)  G5
 
[Verse 2]
               G      Gsus4  G
Starry, starry night,
G                    Am       Asus2  Am
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Am                 Am/C   Asus2/C
Swirling clouds in violet haze
  D7                               G
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Gsus4            G   Gsus4  G
Colours changing hue,
G                 Am    Asus2   Am
Morning fields of amber grain,
Am              Am/C     Asus2/C
Weathered faces lined in pain,
    D7                                  G
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.
 
[Chorus 1]
G          Am    Asus2  D7
Now I understand
D7                G      G/F#  Em
What you tried to say to me.
Em                        Am7     D7
How you suffered for your sanity
D7                        Em
How you tried to set them free.
                                A7             Am7
They would not listen, they did not know how.
   D7                  G
Perhaps they'll listen now.
 
[Bridge]
    G              Am      Asus4  D7
For they could not love you,
    D7                  G    G/F#  Em
But still your love was true.
            Am7
And when no hope was left in sight
        Cm
On that starry, starry night,
    G                 F6#11     E7
You took your life as lovers often do.
                 Am7
But I could have told you, Vincent,
     C               Am7
This world was never meant for one
   D7           G
As beautiful as you.
 
[Interlude 3]
Gsus4  G5  Gsus4  G   G
 
[Verse 3]
               G     Gsus4  G
Starry, starry night,
G                 Am    Asus2  Am
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Am                 Am/C     Asus2/C
Frameless heads on nameless walls,
     D7                                     G
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
         Gsus4                 G   Gsus4  G
Like the strangers that you've met,
G                 Am     Asus2   Am
The ragged men in ragged clothes,
Am                    Am/C   Asus2/C
The silver thorn, the bloody rose
    D7                               G
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
 
[Chorus 2]
G             Am    Asus2  D7
Now I think I know
D7                G      G/F#  Em
What you tried to say to me,
Em                        Am7    D7
How you suffered for your sanity,
D7                        Em
How you tried to set them free.
Em
They would not listen,
            A7               Am7
They're not listening still,
   D7              G
Perhaps they never will.
 
[Outro]
Gsus4  G
G  G6(no5)  G  Gadd9   G
 
 
CHORD DIAGRAM
 
[Intro]
G               3x0003
Gsus4           3x0013
 
[Verse]
G               3x0003
Gsus4           3x0013
Am              x02210
Asus2           x02200
Am/C            x32210
Asus2/C         x32200
D7              xx0212
 
[Interlude 1]
Gsus4           3x001x
G5              3x003x
G(*2)           3x000x
G(*3)           3200xx
 
[Chorus]
G               3x0003
Am              x02210
Asus2           x02200
D7              xx0212
G/F#            2x0003
Em              0x2000
Am7             x02010
A7              x02020
 
[Interlude 2]
GM7(no5)        3xx002
G6(no5)         3xx000
G5              3x003x
 
[Bridge]
G               3x0003
Am              x02210
Asus4           x02230
D7              xx0212
G/F#            2x0003
Em              0x2000
Am7             x02010
Cm              x35543
F6#11           13020x
E7              02010x
C               x32010
Am7             x02010
D7              xx0212
G               3x0003
 
[Interlude 3]
Gsus4           3x001x
G5              3x003x
G(*2)           3x000x
G(*3)           3200xx
 
[Outro]
Gsus4           3x0013
G               3x0003
G(*3)           3200xx
G6(no5)         3220xx
Gadd9           3202xx
G(*2)           3x000x
X
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Vincent – Don McLean
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"Vincent"
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21 comments
Vonsild
One of the most beautiful songs ever, and this is very close to perfect to my ear
+8
HvB
Very Good and detailed, much better than the one who got 140+ votes Thanks very much Henri
+5
redgypsee
Good job-nice detail.
+2