Procol Harum are an English rock band formed in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", considered a classic in popular music and one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for their baroque and classical influence, Procol Harum's music also embraces the blues, R&B, and soul.
In 2018, the band was honoured by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was inducted into the brand-new Singles category.
We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kind a 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, 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
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've been 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
Artist: Procol Harum
Album: Procol Harum
Released: 1967
Songwriter(s): Gary Brooker; Keith Reid; Matthew Fisher
Recorded: April 1967