John Korbel’s “Paint a Starry Night” opens Johnny Still Got Game with a song about finding room for romance later in life. Inspired by a guitar riff from longtime collaborator Jeff Rankin, it draws on the imagery of Vincent van Gogh and a piece of stage banter from Joni Mitchell. The horn-driven arrangement gives the track an expansive feel, while Korbel uses the idea of painting a starry night as a way to approach love from a different stage of life.
Is interesting that choice of image. A starry night belongs to the world of dreams and possibility, but the song comes from the experience of someone who has already lived through plenty. Romance here carries memories of what came before, along with the chance to begin again. Korbel’s songwriting brings those ideas into a pop setting shaped by jazz and funk, without losing sight of the story behind the phrase.
As the album opener, “Paint a Starry Night” introduces an artist who still finds new subjects in familiar experiences. The image at its center does not belong only to the past or the future. It leaves room for another beginning.
