The lyric from Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is “fandango.” The phrase appears in the song’s famous opening verse, whose surreal imagery helped make the 1967 recording distinctive.
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was Procol Harum’s debut single, released on May 12, 1967. Keith Reid wrote the lyrics, while Gary Brooker composed the music with Matthew Fisher, whose prominent Hammond organ part gives the song its baroque character.
The song’s musical atmosphere is closely associated with J. S. Bach, particularly the descending bass movement and organ writing. A common mix-up is to remember “tango,” since fandango is a dance and the lyric’s wording sounds dance-related; however, “fandango” is the canonical word in the recording.
The single became one of the defining songs of the Summer of Love, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and later entering the Grammy Hall of Fame. Its enigmatic lyrics have generated decades of interpretation, but the answer to this lyric prompt is unambiguous.