whiter shade of pale (both extra verses) - Procol harum

We skipped the light fandango
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 wellve been closed


She said, Im 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

Category:

Music

Tags:

• procol
• harum
• whiter
• shade
• of
• pale
• live
• both
• extra
• verses
• ships
• shipwreck
• wave

[rdcu]

i wonder who could dislike this

[SuperBobcat64]

Every time I hear this song it is 1967,and for a few fleeting moments I am 20 years old again. I had heard of the two extra verses,but had never heard them until this post.Magnificent slide show as well.Thank you so much for sharing.

[sezbrett]

Absolutely wonderful song. It never fails to move me.

[b54oramaster]

Pretty sure that the whiter shade of pale is death by drowning.

[1chihira]

great video ya all, ire

[darlaandme47]

@Ouraniax3 Miller told his tale. I used to think it was mirror too it made sense to me, but it is in fact it's And so it was later, as the miller told his tale, that her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale". Guess out of embarrassment that everyone was being told what happened.

[1000hungryboy]

growing up on lake ontario and the st.lawrence river this song has special meaning as i watch may a ships from many a country's steam on by...

[jleegivens]

@MsAlone4now I noticed that too!!!

[jleegivens]

I am awed at your vision to use photos of derelict ships which are forgotten and unwanted, like so many people...and then there's the relentless pounding waves, passing the derelicts by and yet, beating them down until they're truly gone forever, like so many people...

[Ouraniax3]

...as the mirror told his tale...

[wbonney]

holy shit! one of the greatest songs of all time!! period.

[dtothem001]

@mwakortskallo I had it on my favorites it got erased because of copyright infrigement :(