Percy Sledge worked in the fields in Leighton before he worked as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield. By the mid-1960s, Sledge was touring the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends and working at the hospital. A former patient who was a friend of producer Quin Ivy introduced the two, an audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.
Sledge's smooth voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads produced by Ivy and Marlin Greene, which rock critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics for romantics of all ages."
"When a Man Loves a Woman" was the first song recorded under the contract (released in 1966), and it became not only an international hit (it reached #1 in the US) but was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The magnificent soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love," "Take Time to Know Her," and "Cover Me."
Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and has become an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent.
His career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 10 in the UK after being used in a Levi's commercial.
Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Percy Sledge Lyrics
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And turned cartwheels across the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
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
But I wandered through my playing cards
Would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
At the moment my eyes were open
They might just as well have been closed
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
The lyrics to Percy Sledge's song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" describe a surreal, dreamlike experience that the singer and his female companion have at a party. They dance furiously, skipping and doing cartwheels to the music until the singer becomes dizzy and nauseous. The room seems to pulse with energy, and the ceiling disappears. When they order more drinks, the waiter brings more than they asked for, and they continue to drink and dance. Later on, as the miller tells his tale, the female companion's face turns "a whiter shade of pale," leaving the singer to wander through his own thoughts and fantasies.
The lyrics of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" are famously abstract and poetic, and many interpretations have been offered over the years. Some have suggested that the song is about drug use, while others argue that it is about a dreamlike experience of transcendence or spiritual awakening. Regardless of its exact meaning, however, the song's haunting melodies and evocative lyrics have made it one of the most enduring and beloved ballads of the 20th century.
Line by Line Meaning
We skipped the light fandango
We danced together, performing a lively and fanciful ballroom dance
And turned cartwheels across the floor
We were so enthralled in our dance that we started to perform cartwheels on the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
I was feeling dizzy and nauseous, possibly due to the fast movements of the dance
The crowd called out for more
The audience cheered and asked us to continue dancing
The room was humming harder
The energy and excitement in the room were increasing
As the ceiling flew away
The atmosphere was so intense that it was like the ceiling disappeared, creating an open and free feeling
When we called out for another drink
We were thirsty and asked for another drink
The waiter brought a tray
The waiter provided us with a tray of drinks
And so it was that later
At a later time, after the events of the beginning of the song
As the miller told his tale
As the storyteller talked about his story
That her face at first just ghostly
At first, her face was pale and without much expression
Turned a whiter shade of pale
She became even paler, as if she was in shock or disbelief
She said there is no reason
She stated that there was no particular justification for her actions or feelings
And the truth is plain to see
The reality of the situation is evident and straightforward
But I wandered through my playing cards
Despite her insistence that there is no reason, the singer is confused and reflecting on her past decisions
Would not let her be
The artist is struggling to come to terms with something or someone that she cannot escape
One of sixteen vestal virgins
A reference to mythology, specifically the Vestal Virgins, young women who were sworn to chastity
Who were leaving for the coast
The Virgins were going on a journey, likely a religious pilgrimage
At the moment my eyes were open
When the singer gained awareness or came to a realization
They might just as well have been closed
The artist's eyes were open, but the newfound knowledge or realization had little effect on her understanding or perception
Lyrics Β© Onward Music Limited
Written by: Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind