Songs

For context notes on each song, see below. If you just want to hear them played in sequence, go to the playlist.

NOTE: If the songs don't appear below, it means there's a temporary problem with SoundCloud.

Sunflower Power

The opening number. Vinnie is painting sunflower pictures for Paul’s arrival; Paul, from a cosmic viewpoint, tells us the story that's about to unfold.

Me and My Mind

Vinnie asks his mind to cease and desist - he doesn’t want his mental health issues to screw up his plans for an artists’ colony.

Travellin' South

Paul’s on a train heading to Arles, musing on his adventures and his desire to follow wherever the money leads him.

A Fistful of Brushes

Paul arrives at Vinnie’s yellow house and they sing of their excitement at setting up their artists’ colony.

I Don't Do People (not written - TBC)

Vincent says he loves painting landscapes, but wishes he could paint people better. Paul chips in with his own attitudes to his fellow human beings.

Choosy Suzy (not finished - TBC)

Paul was successful at the brothel, and regales Vinnie with the story of what happened.

The Teeth of the Wind (rough demo by songwriter)

Painting outdoors, this is Paul’s first experience of the Mistral, the strong, icy wind that plagues the South of France. Vinnie doesn’t want the weather to put them off work, but Paul wonders why on earth they should paint in such conditions. Small cracks start to show in their relationship.

NOTE: There wasn't time to record it with Max and Charlie, so I included my rough demo to show the dramatic development.

Take a Trip into Your Mind (not written - TBC)

Forced to paint indoors because of rain, Paul is happy - he prefers painting from his imagination anyway, and tries to cajole Vinnie into doing the same. But Vinnie doesn’t like what’s in his imagination. The cracks are getting wider.

Hold Me

Vinnie admits to himself that he’s in love with Paul, he yearns for him, and fantasises about revealing his feelings.

Keep Him Sweet

Paul is starting to get annoyed by Vinnie’s many eccentricities, but keeps his mind on the money (Vinnie’s brother Theo is paying for them both to be there, and he’s also a powerful art dealer in Paris: it’s advantageous for Paul to keep on Vinnie’s good side).

Wheatfield with Crows

WARNING: this song deals with suicide - if you need help, go to samaritans.org and mind.org.uk
For the third time in the show, Vinnie wakes up screaming, and this time we find out what he’s been dreaming about - a vision of the field where he shoots himself later in life. (His disputed final painting was A Wheatfield with Crows.)

Way Past Midnight

Paul has woken up in the middle of the night to find Vinnie staring down at him. The next morning, he asks Vinnie what on earth was going on.

Second Coming

Plagued by the demons in his mind, Vinnie develops a Messiah complex in order to cope. Paul witnesses his ravings with a mixture of awe and repulsion. (In real life, Vincent scrawled ‘I am whole of spirit, I am the Holy Spirit’ on one of the inside walls of the little yellow house).

Hotel Van Gogh

Alarmed at Vinnie's increasingly extreme behaviour, Paul is all set to leave. But Houston, we have a problem...

Something's Coming

Forced to be together till the next payment comes from Theo, Vinnie and Paul both privately ponder that something bad is on the horizon.

Two Nights Before Christmas

Doomy cosmic view song to introduce the terrible night of 23 Dec 1888 - the night that Vinnie threatened Paul with a razor, and then cut his own left ear off.

Please Don't Go (not finished)

Short song in which Vinnie begs Paul to stay, but he’s also confusing him with his brother Theo, his only supporter, who is getting married and therefore leaving Vincent in a different way.

Paint a Pretty Picture (not finished)

Drunk, Paul blurts out how he really feels about Vinnie’s cherished artists’ colony.

Squeeze Me Dry

Vinnie expresses his total loss of hope. WARNING: this song is about suicidal thoughts - if you need help, go to samaritans.org and mind.org.uk

Welcome to My Funeral

​After threatening Paul with a razor, Vincent turns to suicidal thoughts. He ends the song in a horrific act of self harm. WARNING: this song is about suicidal thoughts and self harm - if you need help, go to samaritans.org and mind.org.uk

Paint Me the Villain

From a cosmic viewpoint, Paul expresses his knowledge of how badly posterity has judged him. 

What Happens in Vegas

What really happened that dark December night to cause Vinnie to cut his ear off? Our two hosts suggest that we may never know the answer.

Red is the Colour

In the final song of the show, the two painters reflect on how life can be terribly hard but also bearable and beautiful.