A Whiter Shade Of Pale （苍白的浅影）

两年前， 去了趟 Key West. 在Mallory Square 广场的岸边看日落 时， 旁边有位街头艺人，用吉他弹唱这首歌。当时听不懂歌词，但对歌曲的旋律印象很深。 

后来才知道， 这首歌讲述的是：drug addiction, hard trip， overdose and death 的经历。 据说你怎么去理解歌词都可以。听的时候， 有什么样的心情， 就会有什么样的感受。 

A Whiter Shade of Pale 

We skipped the light Fandango

Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor

I was feeling kind of 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

 ------ organ solo ------

 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

 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 attack the ocean bed

  

我俩轻舞于曼妙灯光里

优雅地环绕着舞池

我感到有些晕眩

但人群不断喝采

整个房间都鼓噪起来

连天花板都要被掀出去

当我们另外点饮料

侍者只端来碟子

 

然而过一会儿之后

主人开始诉说她的故事

她的脸庞如初生般的朦胧

变为一抹幽暗的苍白

 ------ organ solo ------

 她说, 人世间是没有理性

且真相是显而易见的

但我却迷失于纸醉金迷里

不致使她成为

献身神祇的女尼

孤伶地前往海滨

虽然我的双眼是雪亮的

它们仍好象是闭起来似的无知

 

她还说, 我在返家的陆岸上

即使实际上我们还身在大洋中

因此我带着她透过镜子

强迫她不断去妥协

我说, 妳必定是人鱼

传说中带着海神遨游

但她对我的笑意是如此悲戚

以致使我怨愤消失殆尽

 

倘若音乐是爱情的食粮

笑声则是音乐之根本

同样的如果后者颠倒在前方

灰尘实际上也可说是干净的

我的嘴当时如同纸板

溜也似的滑过脑海

因而我们急速地往下潜航

到达无人探知的深海底