A Whiter Shade Of Pale
TMC Movie Tunez Lyrics
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Turned cartwheels cross the floor
I was feeling kinda 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.
But 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 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
She said, I'm home on shore leave,
Though in truth we were at sea
So I took her by the looking glass
And forced her to agree
Saying, you must be the mermaid
Who took Neptune for a ride.
But she smiled at me so sadly
That my anger straightway died
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
If music be the food of love
Then laughter is its queen
And likewise if behind is in front
Then dirt in truth is clean
My mouth by then like cardboard
Seemed to slip straight through my head
So we crash-dived straightway quickly
And attacked the ocean bed
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 TMC Movie Tunez's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" tell the story of a night of debauchery and drunkenness through the singer's eyes. The first verse details the wild, dizzying dancing they partook in before the singer begins to feel ill. However, as the crowd calls for more drinks, the room intensifies to the point where the ceiling seemingly disappears, and the party-goers lose themselves in their revelry. In the second verse, the singer reflects on a conversation with a woman later in the evening whose face turns "a whiter shade of pale" as a miller tells a story. While the woman claims that there's no reason for her sadness, the singer notes he couldn't focus on the conversation because he was preoccupied with a game of cards he was losing.
Then, the third verse brings in a new character - a woman on shore leave that the singer takes in front of a mirror, where he jokes that she must be the mermaid who took Neptune for a ride. However, she responds to his banter with a sad smile, prompting the singer to make peace with his anger. The final verse begins with a philosophical musing on the relationship between music and love before returning to the physical effects of too much drinking. The singer's mouth feels like cardboard before he and his companions "crash-dive" into the ocean bed.
Overall, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" tells a story of escapism and wild indulgence, but also hints at a deep-seated melancholy or dissatisfaction underneath the singer's exterior.
Line by Line Meaning
We skipped the light fandango
We danced joyfully and energetically
Turned cartwheels cross the floor
We twirled and spun around the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
I felt nauseous and unwell
But the crowd called out for more
The audience wanted us to continue our performance
The room was humming harder
The atmosphere became more intense and electrifying
As the ceiling flew away
The excitement was so great that the room seemed to transform
When we called out for another drink
We requested more alcohol to keep the festivities going
The waiter brought a tray
The server delivered a tray of drinks to our group
And so it was that later
Afterwards, in another moment
As the miller told his tale
As the storyteller recounted his story
That her face, at first just ghostly,
At first, her face was pale and eerie
Turned a whiter shade of pale
Her face became even paler
She said, there is no reason
She insisted that there was no explanation
And the truth is plain to see.
The reality is obvious and clear
But I wandered through my playing cards
I was lost in my own thoughts and actions
And would not let her be
I refused to leave her alone
One of sixteen vestal virgins
One of sixteen chaste and pure women
Who were leaving for the coast
Who were departing for the shore
And although my eyes were open
Even though I was aware of my surroundings
They might have just as well've been closed
I wasn't truly paying attention
She said, I'm home on shore leave,
She claimed to be on leave from being at sea
Though in truth we were at sea
But in reality, we were still on a ship
So I took her by the looking glass
I brought her to the mirror
And forced her to agree
And convinced her to accept it
Saying, you must be the mermaid
Telling her she was like a mermaid
Who took Neptune for a ride.
Who had control over the ocean god
But she smiled at me so sadly
But she gave me a mournful smile
That my anger straightway died
Which immediately calmed my anger
If music be the food of love
If music is an essential part of love
Then laughter is its queen
Then laughter is its highest expression
And likewise if behind is in front
Also, if what's behind us is actually in front of us
Then dirt in truth is clean
Then even impurities can be considered pure
My mouth by then like cardboard
My mouth had become dry and lifeless
Seemed to slip straight through my head
My thoughts became jumbled and confused
So we crash-dived straightway quickly
So we dove into the water rapidly
And attacked the ocean bed
And explored the ocean floor
And so it was that later
And afterwards, at a different time
As the miller told his tale
As the storyteller recounted his story
That her face, at first just ghostly,
That her face, which was initially eerie and pale
Turned a whiter shade of pale
Became even more deathly white
Writer(s): Keith Reid, Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher
Contributed by Liam I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.