A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Procol Harum/Annie Lennox Lyrics
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Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda 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
And although my eyes were open
They might have just as well've 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
And so it was that later
Procol Harum's song A Whiter Shade of Pale is a popular psychedelic rock anthem released in 1967. The lyrics tell a story of a night of revelry and drinking, where the singer and his partner dance until the room spins and the ceiling flies away. They continue to drink and dance as the crowd cheers, and at some point, the singer's partner turns white and ghostly, despite claiming there's no reason for it.
The second and third verses provide more context to the story. The singer confesses to being distracted by his playing cards, even though he was with one of sixteen vestal (chaste) virgins who were leaving for the coast. Both verses end with the line "that her face, at first just ghostly / Turned a whiter shade of pale," suggesting that something supernatural or ominous was happening to the singer's partner.
Line by Line Meaning
We skipped the light fandango
We danced carefree and joyfully
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
We twirled around and did acrobatics
I was feeling kinda seasick
I was drunk and dizzy from the excitement
The crowd called out for more
The audience demanded an encore
The room was humming harder
The sound and energy of the music intensified
As the ceiling flew away
The atmosphere felt surreal and dreamlike
When we called out for another drink
We wanted to keep the party going
The waiter brought a tray
The server brought us more drinks to continue the celebration
And so it was that later
After the party was over and time had passed
As the miller told his tale
As someone else shared their story
That her face, at first just ghostly
The woman's pale face was initially hard to see
Turned a whiter shade of pale
But then her face became even paler, almost ghostly white
She said 'there is no reason'
The woman stated that there was no explanation
And the truth is plain to see
But the reality is evident
But I wandered through my playing cards
The singer was lost in his own thoughts and distractions
Would not let her be
He couldn't stop thinking about her
One of sixteen vestal virgins
She was one of many pure and chaste women
Who were leaving for the coast
They were all going on a trip to the seaside
And although my eyes were open
Even though the singer was aware of his surroundings
They might have just as well've been closed
He was so preoccupied that he wasn't really paying attention to anything else
Lyrics © Onward Music Limited
Written by: Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Samantha_C1
For me, Annie Lennox is one of the best female vocalists ever!!❤❤❤
@user-uj7dl7vw2d
definitly
@21bluefins
Completely agree. Her voice is so beautiful..
@gheorgheneaggheorghe9045
Yessss ❤❤❤
@lindapearcr3138
❤
@user-tg1wq8oj1h
Согласна, звезда!
@thomaslapins6022
Procol Harum put this out in the late sixties. It is a perfect song no one could ever do it justice. Well, Annie Lennox just did.
@rosseaualfa
Annie Lennox is so special! When she sings, you get the sence of an Open sky and no roof over your head. I love her voice
@adamknight7041
Check out the new version of this song by Lucy Thomas, it has similarities to this version but if anything I prefer the warmth in Lucy's voice.
Annie Lennox of course is a living legend!
@claudinetillman6459
TOP OF THE evening 🌆 To you Right back at ya 🆗👏 I feel what you felt about this song 🎵🎶🎤🎧🆗👏🏆😁🙆🙅🤷💆👐👏👌💓🫂💕 Thank you very much 👋😁 Absolutely Incredibly phenomenal master piece 🧩 Video 📸 Beautiful ❤️ Music 🎶🎶 Annie is One 🕐 of a kind SOUL STRESS 😬 Will continue listen to her music 🎵🎶 and Videos 📸 Always and Forever ♾️🏆 Happy New Year 🎊🎉 Year ✌️ Stay safe everyone 🙏