When I was a student nurse in 1989, I was doing my first rotation in surgery and the case was a man with a tumor in his abdomen. I was amazed that the surgeons, nurses and surgical techs were all chatting about their weekend, their families, random things, not the patient or the case, they were just operating like it was habit, passing equipment, suctioning like it was any other kind of job. The tumor was sent to the lab for the pathologist to check it out and the surgeons were standing around clasping their hands (so they wouldn't break sterility). The mood was very cheery, the anesthesiologist had the music on 60s and 70s and it was an overall good vibe. A voice came over the intercom announcing that the tumor was malignant and at the very same instant, "Whiter Shade of Pale" came on the intercom. That instant, everyone stopped talking and you could see the sadness in the eyes of the surgeons and staff over their masks. The whole room just felt sad and somber and they silently and respectfully closed him up and did their tasks of counting sponges and cleaning up the room. The music was the perfect song for the mood in the room. Every time I hear the song, I think of this man.
Wow...that must have been so surreal; it sounds like a scene right out of the TV show M*A*S*H. That is sad, I do believe I will think of this story the next time I hear the song.
They will play 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' in a hundred years and beyond and it will still sound timeless and relevant and will be enjoyed. RIP Gary and Keith. Thank you for this total Masterpiece.
This was a "Shhh! Everyone shut the hell up for a bit!" song when I first heard it. It was one of those songs where I wanted the world to stop so I could experience the music. 😅
What always impressed me was that Gary Brooker never lost his voice. Listen to him singing this in his later years and it sounds just as great as the original album.
I totally agree. The music was weird, but also wonderful. it was imaginative. Whether it was inspired by someone being on something, it was the 60's summed up in '67. Jimmy's 'MacArthur Park' sung by Richard Harris, Sgt/ Peppers from the Beatles, 'Good Vibrations', from the Beach Boys, and other great songs, ..it was all happening when I was 15. And of course, the subject of this vid, 'Whiter Shade Of Pale'. All the 60's music was great. It was one of those decades, you had to be there, and like me, you had to be a teenager.
I was a boy of about 8 years when I heard this song on the radio. It was love at first listen. Even now, when I am driving, it's one of those tunes that causes the radio to be turned up louder and I am compelled to sing along loudly. This song is as fresh today as it was 57 years ago. Timeless perfection is impossible to improve. Gary Brooker, RIP. Another great story, Adam. Thanks!
@@randal_gibbons Man, that song always makes me feel good...I love baseball, and the camaraderie of singing that song at a game with fellow fans...yer Gramps sounds pretty cool...
I know he was in the group, but can’t feel his presence I only know him from the Bridge of Sighs! And too Rolling Stoned! That great Univibe effect on his guitar, ( never understood why that never caught on with other players)!
When a piece of music gets Paul McCartney’s attention, we too must give it our attention. I remember when it was released in 1967. It was mind blowing and groundbreaking. Still is. Thank you Professor, you have given this song its just due.
Can’t believe you didn’t mention Conquistador which received a lot of airplay in Canada. If you haven’t already heard Gary’s live version of WSOP with Danish Orchestra check it out. It’s my favourite.
I love "Conquistador"! That is such a great song from a legendary group, maybe Adam will do an episode on that song, too? It deserves it's own show! hint hint!
The most recent live version of this, with the orchestra is truly one of the greatest live performances of ANY LIVE version of a song that I've ever heard!!! PERIOD. They took a beautiful song and made it better, SOMEHOW!!!
Wow, I just rediscovered this song about 2 weeks ago. Procol Harum's song Conquistador came up on my RU-vid suggested videos and I saw this alternate song suggestion, Whiter Shade of Pale. Both resonate with me. I shared the '67 version of Whiter Shade of Pale and then the 2007 live version with my son. 40 years between the two and better than ever. Sad to see Brooker has past. Thanks for choosing this song.
This song played very often back in the day. However, it was super rare in that you didn't get burned out with it like other songs that were played too often.
Probably because each time you hear it, the meaning changes for you and life makes you think and feel it either as an old familiar friend or as a new enlightening experience. Love this song.
@@ProfessorofRock : there are SO many - but, one that should be FAR better-known is "No Good To Cry", by [Al Anderson and] The Wildweeds - LIKE Jasper Wrath's "You" & Fountainhead's "I Saw You" ten / twelve years later, a Constitution State CLASSIC.....ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QIztn3b2-K8.html
They were just kids... Gary Brooker was doodling on the piano, trying to play Bach's Air on G String from memory and stumbled upon a cool descending chord sequence. His bandmate Keith Reid had submitted a stack of lyrics and Gary just took the top sheet and applied the words to the music. Pure magic. That song was part of every high school dance I attended and it never failed to fill the floor. Later, it was on the song list at my wedding, and later still, the song list at my son's wedding. Timeless.
I never made the connection to Bach before, but now I hear it! One of my favorite bands (that sadly most never heard of) Brave Combo did an album of classical music, but with their own twist. Their version of "Air on G String" is my favorite, and they wrote lyrics for it! They renamed it "Fear (Air on a G String)" "Fear! You just find your way to my weak knees Heart! Making me helpless I can't start, The news today is talk of war What's at stake? Life's in shambles, There's no cherry (something?) there's no piece of cake..." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gGDhvUVtMSI.html
You have some real fun facts. In my life, kind of a genuine joke, I remember in high school thinking as I held that cute redhead close on the dancefloor to this record, "Man she is into me." When the music stopped she said something along the line, "Thanks for the dance. See ya." Then skipped away to her crowd.
If someone said this was one of the top five songs from the rock era, I wouldn't disagree. The organ line combined with the Brooker's vocals makes this utterly unforgettable. It's one of those songs that you didn't want to talk over when it came on the radio (sorta like Low Spark of High Heeled Boys). WSOP is a true classic that goes straight into your soul. Thank you, Adam.
One of the greatest lyrics in rock. Basing the melody on well-known Bach composition didn’t hurt. Gave it an instant feeling of familiarity, set against enigmatic lyrics. One of my favorite songs of that period.
Hi Professor, I am enjoying this great video. In 1967 I was 11 years old and my two older brothers had a couple of record players in the basement along with a reel to reel tape recorder. They had more than a hundred and fifty 45s and LPS. I heard one of my brothers yell to my other brother 'hey get down here and listen to this.' A Lighter Shade of Pale was playing and that was the first time I heard the song. To this day it is one of my favorites of all time. Thank you for sharing. Steve
This song was/is my in laws wedding song.. we lost Daddy not quite 4 years ago and i can't help but feel him whenever i hear this song, either from without or from within.
It's in the movie Breaking the Waves. I used to listen to the song every single day on my way to work for almost a year. I hated my job of almost 8 years, the last year being the worst. I was almost done paying of my debt and knew I could put in my two weeks notice that last year. I don't know why, but the song made me feel so much comfort as I was driving to work.
My brother is 5 years my senior and played this for me when I was 7 or 8 back in 71. I think it's been stuck in my head ever since. It's a surreal song that you never get tired of hearing. My mom fell in love with it as well. I've listened to other Procol Harum albums and they really are very good. I need to dust off some of their songs and listen again. Thanks Professor.
It could readily be argued that this song was the birth of Prog Rock. It's one of the very first psychedelic songs I remember from proto-hippie days (I was 10 when it came out in the US).
I'd argue that the true birth of Prog was In 1965 when George Martin asked "Is there anything you guys REALLY want to do?" and John and Paul looked at one another tentatively before answering "Well...now that you mention it..." because that kickstarted the whole trend of experimentation in popular music and everything else built from there, but yeah, Procol Harum really went all-in on it to great effect.
@@Fred_Lougee Funny you mention that because I was thinking that there were certainly hints of what was to come with Rubber Soul in 1965. And true, there was a lot of experimentation happening around 1965--everything from the Beach Boys to Dylan going electric and crafting tunes like Visions of Johanna and many other works by many other artists. But these breakings away from the "3-minute pop song" that made up rock & roll until then were not yet full-on progressive in taking structures and even samples from Classical and Baroque and crafting what could essentially be called rock's version of tone poems. Still, good point you made.
Of course, Gary's fantastic vocal work on this tune plays a huge central role in bringing these obscure lyrics to life, I just can't imagine any other vocalist pulling this off nearly as well as he did, he just nailed it perfectly.
Some of the extended lyrics not on the original recording: "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 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 "- Keith Reid
@ProfessorofRock it's Beautiful that you are covering this Colossal Masterpiece...Alan Cartwright bassist for Procol Harum was a very dear friend of mine,l remember Beautiful Moments when i lived in Palmers Green,at his place over the Years in Palmers Green North London N13,in the family home Alan over the Years waxing lyrical Fantastikal Magical Procol Stories...Gary Brooker and BJ Wilson when they were teenagers would spend much time at the Cartwright home listening to Vinyl Music Inspired and it was here at the Cartwight family home in the mid 60s where Gary would borrow the Album Bach's Air that would inspire him to Create A Whiter Shade of Pale with Procol Harum,I held that Same Album that Inspired the Song in my hand 50years later,his son then Russ handing me the same Album...Yes Truly Under a Spell...I was always rooting for Alan and Gary to be inducted in ROCK N ROLL HALL of Fame..hoping would happen soon..but both Alan,Gary,BJ Wilson have Now Passed...Truly Criminal they were never Inducted in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame,Now I guess it's only Fisher and Trower are the Only Original Surviving Members?Truly Criminal...Heartbreaking...R.I.P. Alan Cartwight Dear Friend...You with Gary and BJ Wilson and Keith Reid are Now ROCK GODS...❤️
I agree hesitant to pronounce band. This is one of the most laidback songs of all time. One of the best vibes. This song also influenced so many genres.
Interesting that you mention Rene Magritte (mag-REET), as it brings to mind another fantasically evocative song by Paul Simon, "Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War," released in the 80s.
The mood and atmosphere of this song is unmatched, even though it fits 1967 so well it feels like it could have been written several hundred years ago, like it has always been in the air, just a silly thought. I would love to hear the lyrics that were cut out, I wonder if they still exist somewhere. Fantastic episode professor and Rest In Peace Mr. Brooker
The original, unrecorded, second verse - which Procol Harum did occasionally include in concert; particularly post 1991, reads: "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". I have a fond memory of my first real conversation with the great Gary Brooker, reciting this verse - trading lines - sitting on a flight case backstage with a beer after PH's concert in Gothenburg in 1991. If my memory serves me right, he said that the 2nd. verse on the record is really the 4th., so that the following would be the original 3rd. verse: "If music be the food of love/then laughter is its queen/and likewise if behind's in front/then dirt in truth is clean/my mouth by then like cardboard/seemed to slip right through my head/so we crashed-dived straightway quickly/and attacked the ocean bed". Personally I can quite understand that this has become the most elusive of the 4 original verses, but there have apparently been some extremely rare performances where all 4 have been included.
I have a friend I only knew online through his YT channel. In his younger days he was an aspiring actor, one of his notable roles being the episode of Cold Case that featured Whiter Shade of Pale. Sadly, he passed on Dec 11 2023. But he lives on in our hearts and in his work. This song always held a special place in my heart, but even more so now. Thank you for the beautiful reminder. You always do such thoughtful, respectful and well-deserved presentations to the musical score of our lives. 🎶💜🎶
The most beautiful and haunting song of the sixties!! Going to high school dances in the late 60s this song always filled the dance floor. Loved Gary Brooker RIP.
I got to see Procol Harum in 1970 with The Steve Miller Band. It was my first concert after returning to Cleveland. I can't remember any other tune by them, except "Whiter Shade of Pale". For me it was on their Salty Dog album that I first heard it, I think. As soon as you hear the intro, you know it's Whiter Shade of Pale". The song always sounded like a "Laid Back" acid trip, I never considered it as a dream. Nice job Adam, It brought back a much gentler time in my life. ;-)
I was born in 1967 and my older sister by 9 years made me fall in love with it the very first time I heard it. Fast forward to 2020? When Gary played it live in Denmark with a full orchestra it left me sobbing. This song has always been and always will be part of the soundtrack of my life. Thank-you Gary for sharing your amazing talent with the world for so many years❤️🇨🇦
It was The Big Chill that introduced this game changer to me. I loved that movie when I first saw it on VHS as a teenager. I was blown away by the soundtrack especially Whiter Shade of Pale. I went to my parents who where in college in the late 60’s and they had a copy!! It was on some sort of K-tel best of the 60’s 8 track!! 😂 I listened to that old thing over and over. Great video as always Professor 🖖✌️
My husband would love your work. He loved music and could remember lists of trivia about everything he'd ever heard. Maybe he's watching through me, thank you from us both.
I got the album Bachbusters when it came out in 1985, and although a non-traditional version I fell in love with Bach. When I heard Whiter Shade of Pale I immediately felt the influence of Bach. The pure emotion of his music. I am sure Bach would have approved.
As someone from Edmonton, Canada - would love to see a breakdown of their album with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra or the single "Conquistador". Such a great version.
Nice! I never knew that magnificent orchestra was Canadian! I assumed it was the London Philharmonics who played on certain Moody Blues albums. IMO, it's the orchestra that brings that song to another level of perfection. If you don't have your speakers blasting that song, you aren't listening to it fully as intended. I would have loved to hear it live, I like feeling it in my bones!
I agree with your dad. I was 16, in boarding school, when it came out, and it's still in my top-ten ever. Johnny Rivers did a great cover of this song (as you mentioned), with insanely beautiful music, especially piano.
Maybe my favorite song of the 60's. I remember getting this song stuck in my head ALL DAY LONG a few times in high school, back in the late 80's. I listened to an oldies show on the radio every Saturday night with my friend John. I really love songs that include classical music in the background.
At the final performance of Procol Harum in 2022, Gary Brooker still using the same key for the song as it was in the 60s and his voice didn't falter a bit. Absolute loss for the world of rock and music in general.
But then, several years later they recorded a live album in Edmonton, with many of their best songs and suddenly Conquistador was all over the radio. When I was in high school there were three albums that everyone was talking about- Procol Harum’s live in Edmonton record, Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run and The Dark Side of the Moon. You could NOT turn on the radio, even super commercial top 40, without hearing Conquistador. Maybe it didn’t reach iconic status like A Whiter Shade of Pale, but it came pretty damn close
5 месяцев назад
This was my mom's favorite song - she loved Gary Brooker's voice. I miss you, mom ❤
5 месяцев назад
Her favorite line was "one of 16 vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast".
Bonus or mistake?? Love Procol Harum. Whiter Shade of Pale still is great today! Truly timeless! Thanks for this either bonus or mistake episode. Great start to the week!
The Box Tops did their version of the song Whiter Shade of Pale with the amazing vocal style of Alex Chilton. It is a much more somewhat stripped down and melancholy version of the song but you really get a yearning of such a painful feeling when Alex Chilton sings it. Alex was always amazing at doing that. Alex Chilton put across more of that "girl leaving boy"pain in his vocal performance.
My Dad had a 69 Triumph Bonneville, that he had disassembled and boxed in 71 when we moved from Kansas to Texas in 1971, after he returned from Vietnam. The plan was always to restore it and ride it when he retired. In 2013 while beginning the task of looking for parts, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer from agent orange exposure. In 2014, he was told there was nothing the Drs could do. As he grew weaker and knew he was dying, he found a RU-vid video from a bike ride POV, and this song played over the ride. I was sitting behind him crying silently, as I am typing this. His face full of longing, regret, and acknowledgement the end was near and he would never ride his beloved Triumph again. I know I turned another, shade of pale. The haunted expression on his face, still haunts me when I hear this song.
I grew up listening to this song on the oldies (50s, 60s, 70s) station and was always fascinated by the overall song - the dynamics, the vocals, the lyrics, all of it. Of all the times I heard it, I don't recall the DJ ever mentioning the artist. Now I understand why that probably was
Such a legendary song with intriguing lyrics and a fantastic melody... Great T shirt Professor, Crime Of The Century is a masterpiece and the album cover is an all time classic!
Many years ago, when I was a freshman/sophomore, my neighbor (who had joined the Army when he was 22 and I was 11) had come home and I guess he was looking for something that would take HIM back to a “better” time. He had been part of the Granada conflict… but I was 14 at that point and we’d just sit around either his backyard or mine and just listen to classic rock (his musical choice and I was ALWAYS looking for “new to me” music). That summer, I experienced the music of Jackson Browne, CSN, OLD Tom Petty, OLD Fleetwood Mac, 10cc, King Harvest (a song that STILL resonates with me to this day)… I LOVED CLASSIC ROCK! And Procol Harem’s Whiter Shade of Pale is a song I’ve attached to that summer. The song’s melody was so… ethereal? Other worldly? Floaty if that’s a word. The line in the song, “One of 16 Vestigial Virgins” Not sure what the line meant, but I still think about that line whenever I hear the song…GREAT SONG. Great memory…
Even after looking up "Vestal virgins", it's even more incomprehensible. The Vestal virgins were priestesses of the Roman goddess Vesta who guarded the sacred flame of the city of Rome.
That is so sad! I can only imagine how terrible that must have been for you. Now whenever I hear it, I will think of you and your best friend. Blessings to you!
Hey, dude, Whiter Shade of Pale is also featured in China Beach. The scene is when Dana Delaneys character dances, being held in the arms of a soldier who is in a wheelchair. It’s practically ballet. It’s beautiful.
😃 *Oddly enough, this isn't even close to their best song. A much better (amazing) song that should have been a huge hit is "Conquistador". I recommend listening on a great system very loud.* 😃
Was my father’s favourite song so we made sure to have it played at his funeral. Saw Gary Brooker perform it at a music festival in the U.K. back in the late 90s, was a great experience
This is the first time that I’ve gotten tearful during one of your fantastic pieces, PoR. After all of these years, this song has always made me feel like that. The kicker is that I’ve never thought much about the lyrics; for some reason it just makes me emotional. 🤷♀️
My favorite cover of Whiter Shade of Pale is one that I've come across just a few years ago. Doro's 1989 cover with Jon Levin interpreting the organ solo to electric guitar. With Doro carefully singing the lyrics with her German accent, the recording speaks of the song's universality while bringing the tune back to the home of Bach.
I was 13 in 1967, and I loved this song. It's the organ that makes it, Hammond Organs are legendary. The M-102 is perfect for this song. My absolute favorite Hammond is that B-3 as played by Steve Winwood. It's awesome👍! Thanks PoR!
I don’t know how anyone could hear this song and not be instantly transported in their mind to something in their memory. I still feel that whenever I hear this song. I’ve often had to stop whatever I’m doing and just surrender myself to the music. This is one of those songs that have always reached me at a much deeper level than most songs.
I am a huge Beatles fan, which is also my number one all-time favorite band. But "Whiter Shade of Pale" is my number one all-time favorite song. Friends and family always assumed a Beatle song would be at the top, but no. I have so many wonderful memories attached to "Whiter Shade of Pale" Thank you for sharing this story and video, Professor!
I thought you would mention the scene in The Commitments where their keyboard player is playing Whiter Shade of Pale in the church. That scene always comes to mind when I hear this song, though I knew of it before. I must have been 12 when I first heard it and it immediately put me in a contemplative headspace, as if I had somehow graduated to having an experienced and bittersweet life simply by listening to it. Such a fantastic track.
One of the greatest and most memorable numbers of all time. As a rock organist I immediately became a huge fan of Procol Harum back in Jr. High School. I bought the album in mono and literally WORE IT OUT and bought a replacement. Organist Matthew Fisher was one of my earliest keyboard heros. (Along with Ray Manzarek, Alan Price, and of course Jon Lord)
This song had a great placement in the 2009 movie “Pirate Radio.” What a great movie that was, and this song was placed perfectly in a pivotal moment of the movie. Anyone who loves this channel and hasn’t seen that flick, it’s a must see.
My first memory of this song was not a great one, lol. It was in the late '70's & in my neighbourhood, my dad was the music man. 8 tracks, LP's, guitars & amps, he had a dream. When the temperatures got warm he'd set up the speakers against the window & start playing the songs that were popular. Mostly it was a signal to the other parents that it was bedtime for the kids & to let everyone else know it was time to kick back & relax with friends out on the lawns with a beer or whatnot. It took a lot of experimenting on my dad's part to get the right mix of music that would send us kids off to dreamland easily. He started with "A Whiter Shade of Pale". Naturally we kids recognized this parental ploy & would fight against bedtime with all we had, especially once we cottoned on to the adults gathering to "party". He then switched to some more pounding drums and bass lines & that did the trick. Kids were going to sleep easily, (thanks AC/DC), parents could visit their friends & everyone enjoyed their summer evenings. It wasn't until I was watching "The 10th Kingdom" starring among others, John Laroquette (sp.). One of his scenes included his character singing along to this song. I recognized it & decided that the song wasn't as horrible as my childhood self had determined & eventually sat down to listen to the song in it's entirety. My only regret about it, is that I hadn't done it sooner so that I could have used the song in my senior English class lyrics deconstruction assignment. I have loved the song ever since. I play it with a reverence that made my own children take notice & give it the courtesy of care that it deserves. Oh yeah, my Dad did eventually form a band & they recorded & released one cd. Their biggest fan is my eldest child.
As it tells a story, you have to look at it for the story, and ignore the arrangement of the lyrics, specifically the chorus placement. "Trip the light fantastic" comes from Milton (1645), meaning to dance nimbly, or lively. It was a colloquial term in the 20s and 30s for "going dancing". In The Queen's English, "trip" and "skip" have the same meaning in this context i.e. a lively dance. A fandango is also a lively dance, so here we have a play on words within a play on words: "We skipped a (the) light Fandango" literally means "we tripped the light fantastic" (danced lively) "Turned cartwheels across the floor" was, hopefully, not the actual dance moves being performed, but as dancers were wont to do roundabout the roaring 20s and through to the 50s, maybe they did. Look up the old Cotton Club reels. Swing dancing was a hit in Europe, even pre-war Germany, so given the time period when the song was written (60s), it is not unreasonable to deduce that Reid was aware of such lively dancing (as opposed to whatever that stuff was the kids were doing in the 1960s). "I was feeling kind of seasick" from the lively dancing. "The crowd called out for more" - apparently they were the couple to watch. "The room was humming harder" - obviously there would have been a live band (ah, the good old days) and as live bands do, they fed off the energy of the crowd and got louder. Depending on the room, the level of inebriation, and the "feeling seasick", as well as the crowd cheering them on, it's just too much noise, likely exceeding safe levels and causing mild headache. "As the ceiling flew away" means "they blew the roof off the joint", as bands (and revelers) like to do. "When we called out for another drink" - obviously this was a dance hall that served refreshments of a sort, and, as you do, they partook. "The waiter brought a tray" - we can safely assume it was a tray of refreshments (various drinks - beer, wine, spirits, etc.) Here we get to the first chorus. Skip it for now as it's out of context. On to the next stanza: "She said there is no reason" "And the truth is plain to see" "That I wandered through my playing cards" "And would not let her be" "One of 16 Vestal Virgins who were leaving for the coast" In this poetic formatting, it seems weird. Let's put it in context of a conversation: "She said, "there is no reason, and the truth is plain to see", that I "wandered through my playing cards", and I would not let her be "one of 16 Vestal Virgins who were leaving for the coast". The Vestal Virgins from ancient Rome were priestesses of Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth and Home. Literally "keeping the home fires burning", while their men were away (at war, sharecropping, or whatever work took them from their home for a time), so they had a "home" to come "home" to: literally wife and x number of kids and the dog and the roof that doesn't leak and all that good stuff. There were apparently only 16 spots in this official role at a time. Kinda like the Sith: always there are two, no more, no less. Except, you know, 16 of them. Apropos for wartime 1940s (and really 50s and 60s, given the world went from Eastern Europe and Japan to Southeast Asia back to back, and the "Dear John" letter was invented). When the Romans adopted Catholicism, and Vestal Virgins were dubbed "nuns", they would be shipped off to coastal nunneries (as also priests were sent to coastal monasteries) for a certain time so they could be alone and get through the "urges". So, it appears he (whoever) was pressuring her into premarital sex, which, backinnaday, women were held to higher moral standards and expected to maintain their virginity until marriage, unless they wanted to be a prostitute. He (whoever) had a number of ladyfriends with benefits, which he "played like a hand of cards" (playas gonna play), and she did not feel that a more lasting relationship with him (whoever) was possible because of that. Although she does state at the beginning "there is no reason", here it means "I don't owe you an explanation, buster" when he's prodding her with "but why baby, you know I looooove you! All them other girls don't mean nothin'!". The short version: He wants the wakka wakka, she's saying "no ding-ding without the wedding ring", "don't hand me no lines, and keep your hands to yourself", "if you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends" (though that last one sounds a bit more kinky than I guess it should? Mmm Spicy!). "And although my eyes were open, they might just as well have been closed" because while he got what she was saying, he didn't see it coming. "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." So this is the sticking point, innit? It's been established Reid didn't read Chaucer before writing this, but we can safely assume they were at a dance. A dance prior to 1966. How prior? How old was Reid when he wrote it? What was his thought process? Did he, by chance, attend a Big Band concert at some point, perhaps from the Glenn Miller orchestra or hear his recordings (likely, I mean the guy was a hit machine)? Glenn Miller had some heartfelt numbers, like Perfidia (written by the legendary Nat King Cole). Perfidia lyrics: To you My heart cries out "Perfidia" For I find you, the love of my life In somebody else's arms Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia" Forgetful of the promise of love You're sharing another's charms With a sad lament my dreams are faded like a broken melody While the gods of love look down and laugh At what romantic fools we mortals be And now, I know my love was not for you And so I take it back with a sigh Perfidious one, Goodbye" I mean, if it fits, it ships, right? This is like THE blueprint for breakup songs, amirite? From Old Hank's "Your Cheatin' Heart" to '80s Hair Metal (Dokken's "Alone Again", Cinderella's "Don't Know What You Got (Until It's Gone)", Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", to X-Japan's "Unfinished"), this is what they're all saying. So, she dumps him because he's been running around, maybe? Or he dumps her because he wants to "do the do" and she doesn't? Maybe she dumped him because he was being pushy. So, she's already kinda pale (redhead? don't get out much? I mean, Sunny England isn't really a phrase, like "Sunny Florida", so maybe she had a nice alabaster complexion already?). Or, was it because she was "stone faced" about her decision? What's whiter than alabaster? ... Marble. She went Stone Cold on him. She ain't no hollaback girl. She told him "no" and stuck with it.
The best selling artist in the UK in 1967 wasn't Procol Harum. It was Englebert Humperdinck, who had no, 1s with 'Release me' and 'The Last Waltz', plus 'There Goes My Everything' at no. 2.
This song is very haunting with that organ melody and you just have to stop and listen every time it comes on. I still haven't been able to really piece all the words together but it works well and has done all these years. I found your reference to the surrealist art movement brought back a lot of memories, because when I did my Art 'O' level exam at high school many years ago that was my chosen area of study for the Art History segment of the paper.
This is such a good song ... and there are so many covers of it out there that are also amazing! I've always been partial to Annie Lennox's version of the song as well. Enjoyed the vid!
