What is "A Whiter Shade of Pale" 'about'....

[sendero]

... and why do I love that song so much :)


"that her face at first just ghostly
turned a whiter shade of pale"

[mitchtv]

1. Donno, but I saw them do that- fillmore east '69

Also, Janis Joplin that night on a trip to NY from SF. I love procol Harem and that song

[LuLu550]

14. Hey!

I was there, too. Remember me?
:hippie:

[mitchtv]

22. went to get an egg creme later at the corner candy stoe on St Marks

. 'those were the days my friend" In 69 I almost got swept up in Chile's 9/11- they were arresting all foreigners, I changed my itinerary and went to Bolivia instead- partied like crazy. Nose candy at $4 /gr., or $100/oz.

[WilliamPitt]

2. It's the story of an acid trip

[SOteric]

4. Not according to Keith Reid...

:shrug:

[WilliamPitt]

5. Yeah, but he was on acid, so...

:)

[SOteric]

7. Only because

He couldn't get any Zomby Coffee. :)

[WilliamPitt]

9. Damn straight

:grr:

[sendero]

8. well....

... the first verse certainly sounds like that, but the part that follows sounds more like some man/woman angst :)

I just love that song, even more now than when I was a pup. Hope it isn't nostalgia creeping in, tho it holds no memories I can think of...

[SOteric]

3. Read about it here:

http://www.procolharum.com/awsop_lotgs.htm

[sendero]

10. thank you....

... that is a very plausible explanation for a song that has always been very evocative yet inscrutable to me....

[xJlM]

11. That was good

I've wondered about that song for years, and I could never figure out what the reference was to Canterbury Tales. Now I know that much, any way...

[mitchum]

6. I remember reading an interview with the lyricist...

and he said what sounds like drunken nonsensical babble is supposed to be...drunken nonsensical babble. Really. The protagonist is attempting to pick up a woman, so he starts laying on the romantic doggerel in an attempt to woo her with his "poetic charms".
It is a beautiful sounding song.

[radiclib]

12. Procol is vastly underrated

One of my all-time faves. Their bombast is mostly tongue-in-cheek,and how can one not love a lyricist who is acutely aware throughout his navel-gazing of how fucked up he really is?
"...although my words are pretentious, and make me cringe with embarrassment..." ('In Held 'Twas In I', 1968) Good old Keith.
Check out the ass-kicking web-site BEYOND THE PALE.

[Pert_UK]

13. Watch Withnail & I.......opening scenes.....

Marvellous.

P.

[tjdee]

15. I have never heard this song before.

I must be some kind of weirdo.

I've heard of it, many times, but I've never heard it before.

:(

[Career Prole]

16. Someone once told me

that Willie Nelson covered that song. I just Googled Whiter Shade of Pale and Willie Nelson and damned if he didn't!
Now I'm giggling uncontrollably wondering if he ever covered Helter Skelter...

[VOX]

17. This is a riot! I didn't know that Willie covered WSOP!

Thanks for posting this -- I can now go to bed laughing!

:toast:

[sendero]

20. LOL

Yeah, and as much as I admire Willie, it is a real stinker :)

[Palacsinta]

18. I walked down the aisle to WSOP

Loved the song....and it was the only song my future brother-in-law, who was the organist, could play on the organ!

Saw PH in Pittsburgh in 1971. They were the first group on before Emerson, Lake and Palmer (or was it the other way around?) Anyway, EL&P blew the crowd away in comparison to PH. New Moog sound and all, I guess.

[WoodrowFan]

19. The Republican Party

What could be whiter???

[underpants]

21. About 3 and a half minutes.

:bounce: