Donna,

I don't know if the below is useful reading but it's my take on the lyrics of "White Shade of Pale".

At some of the Pat Pattison seminars I've been to, Pat has mentioned the concept of 'impressionistic lyrics'. This notion has caused me to think a great deal over the years about different possible styles of lyric writing. My thinking has been along the line of the following.

With painting, a very broad classification of styles run from 'realism' through 'impressionistic' and then into 'abstract'.

What music enthusiasts collectively call Classical Music also has the aural equivalent of these styles. There's the 'tonal music' (the painting equivalent of realism) of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc., that developed into the 'Romantic music' (impressionistic) of Schumann, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Mendelsohnn, etc., that then leads into the 'atonal music' (abstract) of 20th century composing.

The film industry is similar: there are realistic films, impressionistic films and Art House films. Literature also ranges from realism to abstract.

I've come to see that lyrics, like other art forms, can be written using these different techniques. There are lyrics from the equivalent of the realism gallery of art and there are impressionistic lyrics as well as abstract lyrics.

While I only seem to be able to write words in the 'realism' style, with maybe an occasional minor excursion into the impressionistic arena, I admire those who can evoke imagery, thoughts and feelings through using cleverly chosen words and sonic-linking techniques such as rhyme, rhythm, repetition, assonance, consonance, etc.

Have a listen to Jimmie Rodgers singing Bimbombey below.



To my mind, the lyrics to Bimbombey are tending towards the realism end of impressionistic in that they reflect aspects of real life but present these aspects in a non-realistic way. By this I mean that they are like Vincent Van Gogh's paintings where each element in his paintings is indentifiable as 'real' but the painting of the element is not a 'realism' replication of the original.

In Bimbombey... the main rhyming sound is the long 'a' and through the clever use of this sound, in addition to some minor rhymes, a heap of alliteration, and a ton of repetition, the song's composers (David, Peretti, Creatore) create an impressionistic look at the journey of a happy guy on his way to propose to his girlfriend. Every time I listen to this song, I greatly admire the imagination and the craftsmanship from which it grew.

To me, the lyrics of "White Shade of Pale" has elements of impressionism as well as the abstract. When I listen to the first section of words, I hear impressionism in

Quote:
We skipped a light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
The crowd called out for more

because these words could be 'painting' a real-life situation. Following on from these, though, the continuity is disrupted and the lyrics lead into the abstract where the imagery is strong and carries on from the beginning of the lyrics.

Quote:
The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray


This feeling of 'abstract', or 'Art House', stays with me as I journey through the rest of the song. It's one of my favourite pieces of music. For me, the appeal is not just the isolated meaning of words but the imagery that these words create and the musical journey that accompanies them. The descending bass line that features throughout always grabs my attention!

Regards,
Noel

MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026