Dan Reeder (born in Louisiana in 1954 and raised in California) is an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Reeder (born in Louisiana in 1954 and raised in California) is an American musician and artist. He relocated to Germany in 1979.

Reeder’s second album Sweetheart comprises 15 original songs, plus a cover of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” that sounds like the demo version Gary Brooker probably dreamed of singing before all that baroque production-work got in the way. It isn’t so much a sequel to his wonderful out-of-nowhere, out-of-time 2003 debut, Dan Reeder, as it is an extension of--a more freewheeling elaboration on--his first musical offering. Certain themes recur on Sweetheart: Dan likes to be alone (“I Don’t Really Want To Talk To You”; “Just Leave Me Alone Today”); Dan likes to think about, and have, sex (“Pussy Titty”; “Pussy Heaven”--for the son of a minister, he’s got quite a mouth on him). But most of the time, Sweetheart is about the sound of Dan Reeder’s cracked, dry, confiding voice and the pleasant noises he gets out his homemade guitars, his multi-tracked harmonies with himself and his occasional puff on a harmonica.

There’s a certain stubbornness here, and I’m not just talking about the years Reeder says it’s taking for his cappuccino to arrive in Sweetheart’s lead-off cut, “I’m Waiting For My Cappuccino.” Reeder has the stubbornness--the creative persistence--of an artist: You get the definite feeling he’ll do or make whatever he wants and the hell if anyone else likes or wants it. In a world where most pop culture is about finding out what the maximum number of people desire and then manufacturing something that will max-out that desire till you puke, Reeder’s quiet, sharp-witted, literally home-made music reminds you why some people create: to satisfy themselves, and then, if possible, make some money in the bargain.

A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Dan Reeder Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We skipped a light fandango,
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor.
I was feeling kind of seasick,
But the crowd called out for more.
The room was humming harder,
As the ceiling flew away.
When we called out for another drink,
The waiter brought a tray.

And so it was that later,
As the miller told his tale,
That her face at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale.
She said there is no reason,
And the truth is plain to see
That I wandered through my playing cards,
And would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast.
And although my eyes were open,
They might just as well have been closed.
And so it was later, As the miller told his tale,

That her face at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale.

Overall Meaning

Dan Reeder's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is a poetic and mysterious song that tells a story of an evening at a party. The singer describes a series of strange events that take place, beginning with skipping a light fandango and turning cartwheels. Despite feeling seasick, they continue to dance as the crowd calls out for more. As the night wears on, the room becomes more vibrant, and the ceiling flies away. When they call for another drink, the waiter brings a tray.

As the song progresses, we learn that the singer is witnessing the scene as if in a dream. They describe a woman whose face turns a whiter shade of pale as she recounts a tale of wandering through her playing cards and not being able to let go of someone who was leaving for the coast. The woman mentions that there is no reason for her to feel this way, and the truth is plain to see. It is a haunting image, and the lyrics leave much to the imagination.

Line by Line Meaning

We skipped a light fandango
We danced energetically and joyfully

Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
We spun around and rolled on the ground while dancing

I was feeling kind of seasick
I felt dizzy and disoriented

But the crowd called out for more
The audience wanted us to keep dancing

The room was humming harder
The atmosphere became more intense and exciting

As the ceiling flew away
The surroundings seemed to disappear as we got lost in the moment

When we called out for another drink
We requested more alcohol to keep the party going

The waiter brought a tray
The server brought us a tray of drinks

And so it was that later, as the miller told his tale
At a later point in time, while the miller was telling a story

That her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale
Her face, initially looking pale and expressionless, became even more white and drained of color

She said there is no reason
She expressed that there was no specific cause or explanation

And the truth is plain to see
It's obvious what the reality of the situation is

That I wandered through my playing cards
I was lost and distracted in my own thoughts and actions

And would not let her be
I didn't allow her to have her own space or independence

One of sixteen vestal virgins
She was one of a group of dedicated, religious women

Who were leaving for the coast
They were on their way to the seaside

And although my eyes were open
I was aware of what was happening around me

They might just as well have been closed
I was so lost in my own thoughts that I wasn't really paying attention

And so it was later, as the miller told his tale
Again, at a later point in time, during the miller's story

That her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale
Her face continued to look even more pale and lifeless

Contributed by Alexis F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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