After bassist Jack Bruce wrote the guitar pieces, Cream's lyricist, poet Pete Brown, grouped colorful four-syllable phrases, loosely organized around images of waiting in an English railway station influenced by the drugs he was taking. "White Room" is further noted for its unusual time signature of 5/4 in the introduction and bridge, with triplets played on toms by Ginger Baker, his thunderous bass drum part also lacing the verses. Finally, "White Room" is notable for showcasing guitarist Eric Clapton's best known use of the Vox Clyde McCoy Picture Wah (a device used to turn off bass and treble as the pedal is rocked) in the bridge and extended solo.
Along with "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Crossroads", White Room is one of Cream's most notable songs, reaching number 6 on the U.S. pop charts.
White Room
Cream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment
I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
I walked into such a sad time at the station
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning
I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves
At the party, she was kindness in the hard crowd
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings
I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
Cream's song White Room is a poetic and enigmatic song that carries a surreal and dreamlike quality. The song paints a vivid picture of a white room with black curtains near a train station, in a country with no gold pavements and where starlings are tired. A woman with dark eyes and a smile that leaves contentment in the singer's heart is mentioned. However, the sense of sadness and loneliness permeates the lyrics, as the singer waits in this place where the sun never shines and the shadows run from themselves. He is bound to this place and will wait here until the train comes back.
The lyrics also tell the story of meeting a woman at a party who provides consolation for an old wound. She is like a yellow tiger crouched in the jungles with dark eyes that seem to hold secrets. However, the mood of the lyrics is still melancholic and disillusioned, and the singer is resigned to sleep in this place with the lonely crowd and in the dark where the shadows run from themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
In the white room with black curtains near the station
I was surrounded by emptiness - white walls, black curtains, nothingness, and it was near the train station.
Black roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
There was no beauty or luxury, no fortune or richness, and even the birds were too weary to fly.
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes
I saw a glimpse of your imagination, where all the beautiful things in life flowed like silver horses on a river of moonbeams.
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment
As you left, the first light of day came, and it made everything brighter, happier... but you left contented and carefree.
I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
I'm stuck in a place where there's no warmth, no light, not even hope. I'm here, waiting.
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves
In this place, the darkness is so complete it scares the shadows themselves. There's no escaping it, it's all-consuming.
You said no strings could secure you at the station
You wanted freedom, you didn't want anyone or anything holding you back. You said nothing could keep you at the station.
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
You left on a train, with only a ticket to show for it. I watched the train leave, as the engines roared and the windows rolled by. You never looked back.
I walked into such a sad time at the station
When I arrived at the station, it was like entering a time of mourning. Everyone was sad, and everything seemed to be hanging over time. It was a bleak place.
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning
As I walked away from the station, I felt something inside of me stir. A need, a longing for something I didn't even know yet. I was restless and searching.
I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
I'll be here when the trains return, waiting patiently in line. I'll be ready to board, to leave, to escape this place.
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves
If I could lie next to you in a place where the darkness is afraid of the shadows themselves, I'd be happy. I'd finally be free from this place, these feelings inside of me.
At the party, she was kindness in the hard crowd
She was different than everyone else at the party - she had a gentle kindness that was rare in such a rough crowd. She was comforting, a bright spot in the darkness.
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
She gave comfort for a wound that had been hurting for a long time. It was forgotten, healed, by the gentleness she possessed.
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
There was a wildness and a danger in her eyes, like yellow tigers crouching in the jungle. It was both alluring and terrifying.
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings
At the end of the party, she was just putting on a show. The windows were closing, the starlings were tired - it was time to end the night.
I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd
I'll spend the night here, surrounded by people who are all just as lonely as I am. We'll all be alone, together.
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
We'll be lying in the darkness, where even the shadows fear the nothingness. We'll be lost, alone, and afraid, but at least we'll be together.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Bruce, Pete Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ralph Signorelli
on Spoonful
First time I heard Cream I was stoned out of my mind on LSD lying of the floor between two very large speakers, for 8 hours. These guys are the best musicians England ever produced. All Rock music after this was just was just imitation.