Oh, Vincent (a song about a poet)
Channel: Sarah Shay
Date: 2013-05-08

A song about my favorite poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. 

This song now available on my new studio album, "You Have Queer Street Cred"! Buy it here: https://sarahshay.bandcamp.com/album/you-have-queer-street-cred
Or search for it on your streaming service of choice!

Check out Nancy Milford's "Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay" at your local library, or buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375...

For more information about Vincent:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_St....
http://www.millay.org/

For more information about me:
http://www.sarahshay.com
http://www.twitter.com/TheSarahShay
http://sarahalyse.tumblr.com

Like my videos? Support me on Patreon or send me a tip! 
http://patreon.com/sarahshay
http://paypal.me/sarahshay

Disclaimer: The refrain "Beautiful, this day/no matter who has died" is paraphrased from the final line of the final poem Millay is believed to have written. It was found, unfinished, on a piece of paper her head landed on when she fell down a flight of stairs to her death. The actual line is "Handsome, this day," but when I first heard the story, I was told it was "beautiful." I decided that "beautiful" scanned better, and decided to take a bit of artistic liberty. I hope Vincent doesn't mind.

Lyrics and chords by Sarah Shay. Shared here under a Creative Commons license (non-commercial/attribution/share-alike).

Am F C G
Oh Vincent
Your matriarchs didn't have luck at home
Your mother and hers raised their kids alone
They sent their shiftless men packing off
No wonder you wanted better odds
Oh Vincent
You made all the girls at school swoon and sigh
The redhead they all wanted to be like
And to be near

Oh Vincent you had it all
what else could you want
Burning your candle at both ends
you did it all
All the boys and the girls 
'round your little finger 
with beauty and talent and wit 
and luck at first

Am F
Beautiful, this day
Beautiful, this day
Beautiful, this day
No matter

Oh Vincent
You traveled the world with your lovers
Eugen at home writing letters, begging
You to return to your Steepletop
Wanting you near, but you just couldn't stop
Oh Vincent
When you lost your world that night, didn't it sting
Couldn't find solace in anything
Your head full of what was gone up in flames
Even the morphine could only ease the pain

Oh Vincent you had it all
what else could you want
Burning your candle at both ends
you did it all
All the boys and the girls 
'round your little finger 
with beauty and talent and wit 
and luck at first

Beautiful, this day
Beautiful, this day
Beautiful, this day
No matter who has died

Full disclosure: The above link to Amazon is through my Amazon Affiliate account. If you buy the things I link to, I get a teensy kickback.