Joe Van Gogh is a friend of mine
He’s the son of Vincent Van Gogh, you know
Joe has more friends than you do
And Joe Van Gogh is a painter too

I’ve shared a room with Joe Van Gogh
And all night long he grinds his teeth
It could be genetic it could be the heat
It’s pressure to paint that’s my belief

This I’ll tell you ’cause this I know
I’m a valuable friend to Joe Van Gogh
I’m the only painter Joe Van Gogh knows
Who wasn’t first friends with Vincent Van Gogh

Joe Van Gogh is a very good painter
Some sunflowers, sure but other stuff too
But how good a painter we’ll never know
‘Til he gets away from Vincent Van Gogh

An umbilical cord of red Dayglo
Runs from one to the other though
Through the streets of Amsterdam they go
Joe on the shoulders of Vincent Van Gogh

Joe Van Gogh has a second floor window
With a scene of Amsterdam below
He sits at a canvas with a Marlboro
In his mind Van Gogh, Van Gogh, Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh is good to Joe
He gave his son his ear, you know
But it can’t be easy being Joe Van Gogh
Trying to paint when your dad is Vincent Van Gogh

People write songs about Vincent Van Gogh
Like Starry Starry Night and other stuff too
And it don’t exactly even the score, I know
But here’s one song about Joe Van Gogh

(lyrics: Dan Bern)