Music ~ A Whiter Shade Of Pale

A Whiter Shade Of Pale is a song which was released in 1967 by the band Procol Harum. With its haunting tonality and Bach flavouring, both provided by Hammond Organs and Matthew Fisher,  vocals by Gary Brooker, and mysterious lyrics by Keith Reid,  "A Whiter Shade of Pale" reached #1 on the British charts, was a hit in Europe, and reached #5 in the United States. In the years since, it has become an enduring classic, and has earned extensive critical acclaim. Rolling Stone Magazine placed "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" as #57 of its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. A British TV station also placed the song at #19 in its chart of the 100 greatest singles.

Brooker and Reid have disclaimed any intention of ever explaining or assigning additional meaning to the lyrics.

A Whiter Shade of Pale

We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross 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
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 be 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
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
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned A Whiter Shade Of Pale