“Now, younger people hear it and it still sounds full of atmosphere. My intepretation is that it's about a man who lost his woman who died because of drugs. One more clarification, vestal virgins had a 30 year contract so it wasn’t a lifetime. I was trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. Watch official video, print or download text in PDF. var _g1; } _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-source'); Are you a songwriter? if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { } catch(e) {}, try { Jim Beviglia _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-source'); The single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967 and stayed there for six weeks. Even when you can’t quite understand their meaning, Reid, who was clearly influenced by Dylan’s surreal story songs from the mid-60’s, writes lines that leave a lasting impact, right from the immortal opener: “We skipped the light fandango.”. Attempts to wrangle these lyrics into linear coherence are thwarted at every turn, in part by red herrings (Reid claimed that the line “As the miller told his tale” has nothing to do with Chaucer) and by the demands of pop radio (Two extra verses were excised to keep the running time low.) 9 Comments, The familiar adage, oft-repeated by musicians who have had hits and those who long for one, says that if anyone knew what exactly constituted a hit single, that formula could be repeated every time. The bands original name was The Paramounts. I always thought that meant that he (they) got drunk. © With its Bach-derived instrumental melody, soulful vocals, and unusual lyrics – by the song's co-authors Gary Brooker, Keith Reid and Matthew Fisher – "A Whiter Shade of Pale" reached No. “Keith Reid [Procol Harum lyricist] had written the lyrics and posted them to me,” recalls pianist/singer Gary Brooker. Wut ever we all get out of it we all can agree to , roll one up and burn it down, and TURN IT UP,!!! _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); Cosa aspetti? But, the song still gets air play today and possibly will for many generations to come. YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF LIFE THING AND THE MOURNFUL MELANCHOLYNESS OF LIFE…THINKING OF BACK WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND USED TO SKIP THE LIGHT FANDANGO….YOU KNOW…DANCE PARTY…AND HAD A…LIFE…OH…AND CHASE THE BABES…I WAS 11 YEARS OLD WHEN THAT SONG CAME OUT ITS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES…I NOW KNOW HOW THOSE FOLKS FELT…EVEN BACK THEN…. “The miller’s tale” is the second tale of the book “The Canterbury Tales”,’ written by Chaucer. “It’s like a jigsaw where you’ve got one piece, then you make up all the others to fit in. Air On A G String was the starting point but the rest was invention, with constant reference to Bach-like breaks and atmosphere.”. A Vestal virgin is buried alive if they have sex. The original lyrics had four verses, of which only two are heard on the original recording. The song, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”. But what is it about A Whiter Shade Of Pale that has made it so enduring and iconic? Without much promotion, it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. What I got from it is that one of the 16 Vestal virgins decided to have a little fun before she had to lead a life keeping Vestas fires going and having to stay a virgin. I was immediately taken with the immense length of the original four verses with a chorus on each, and the narrative form it took, with its mysterious characters and goings-on.”, Brooker had been working on melody inspired by classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach, saying: “Throughout 1966 I had followed with interest the work of the Jacques Loussier Trio and the Swingle Singers, who had made an art of adapting Bach pieces. I pointed out this detail And forced her to agree, Saying, "You must be the mermaid Who took King Neptune for a ride. Visit our corporate site. “The miller told his tale” Addeddate 2020-11-04 16:13:49 Identifier procol-harum-a-whiter-shade-of-pale-06.-cerdes-outside Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.6.4 Don’t let it bother you. A Whiter Shade of Pale Brooker / Fisher / Reid. With Procol Harum it was a bit of a mess for a few weeks, bit of a shock. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-img'); Greg Lake's I Believe In Father Christmas is prog's favourite Xmas song ever. Find more of Procol Harum lyrics. Just crank up the volume everytime I hear opening organ chords. Alan Freeman was the host. A Whiter Shade of Pale Think about that color, what does it mean? Original lyrics of A Whiter Shade Of Pale song by Procol Harum. Ever seen a corpse in a coffin? It was the first single released by a relatively unknown British band, it was driven by a classical organ part derived from Bach, and it featured some of the most inscrutable lyrics of the era. Leggi la traduzione e guarda il video della canzone di A Whiter Shade Of Pale, tratta dall'album Greatest Hits: Procol Harum di Procol Harum. Death is when you are a whiter shade of pale. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was the debut single by the British rock band Procol Harum. The long and protracted tale behind UK prog legends Procol Harum's 1967 number one smash hit A Whiter Shade Of Pale. Turned a whiter shade of pale She said, "I'm here on a shore leave," Though we were miles at sea. } No matter whether you buy one or twenty the postage is still the same $3.50 TOTAL (in the U.S.) The single is A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the debut release from Procol Harum that not only topped the UK charts for six weeks, but also made it to Number Five in America. 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