A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Sarah Brightman vs. Atb Lyrics
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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
And so it was that later
As the Miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of paleShe said there is no reason
And the truth is plain to see
But I wandered through my playing cards
And I would not let her be
One of the 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 that later
As the Miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale
The lyrics of Sarah Brightman vs. Atb's song A Whiter Shade Of Pale are full of symbolic and metaphorical language that create a dream-like atmosphere. The song describes a group of people who are dancing and having fun, despite feeling disoriented and out of touch with reality. The opening lines, "We skipped the light Fandango/Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor," suggest the carefree and wild nature of the party, while "I was feeling kind of seasick/But the crowd called out for more" suggests that the singer is experiencing a sense of nausea or unease.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become increasingly surreal, with the "ceiling fly[ing] away" and the appearance of a "Miller" telling a tale. The imagery of the Miller and the sixteen vestal virgins leaving for the coast creates a sense of ancient mythology or fairy tale. The line "And although my eyes were open/They might just as well have been closed" suggests a sense of disconnection from reality, as if the singer is experiencing the event as an outsider or observer.
Line by Line Meaning
We skipped the light Fandango
We danced with great joy and energy
Turned cartwheels ´cross the floor
We were carefree and full of excitement
I was feeling kind of seasick
I was a bit dizzy and overwhelmed by the experience
But the crowd called out for more
Despite my inner turmoil, we continued performing due to the audience's encouragement
The room was humming harder
The atmosphere intensified as the activity grew more frantic
As the ceiling flew away
The world around me ceased to exist as I became lost in the moment
When we called out for another drink
We continued indulging in the pleasures of the night
The waiter brought a tray
The indulgences were supplied by the people around us
And so it was that later
After the excitement had died down
As the Miller told his tale
As we listened to a story
That her face, at first just ghostly
Her features, which had been unclear before, now became visible
Turned a whiter shade of pale
She became visibly pale, struck by the story or the events of the night
She said there is no reason
She stated that there was no justification or explanation for her reaction
And the truth is plain to see
The reality of the situation is obvious
But I wandered through my playing cards
I was distracted by my own thoughts
And I would not let her be
I refused to attend to her, lost in my own mind
One of the sixteen vestal virgins
A reference to one of the mythological virgin attendants of the Roman goddess Vesta, possibly meant as a metaphor for her character
Who were leaving for the coast
A reference to the vestal virgins' annual procession to the sea for religious purposes
And although my eyes were open
Despite being aware of my surroundings
They might just as well have been closed
I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I was not truly present
And so it was that later
Once again, after the events had played out
As the Miller told his tale
Listening to the storyteller once more
That her face, at first just ghostly
Her appearance, previously mysterious, became clearer
Turned a whiter shade of pale
Once again, her face became white, as if impacted by the story or her own thoughts
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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