Procol Harum — Shine On Brightly
Album: Shine On BrightlyAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 453
Length: 3:23
Plays (last 30 days): 1
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My Prussian-blue electric clock's
Alarm bell rings, it will not stop
And I can see no end in sight
And search in vain by candlelight
For some long road that goes nowhere
For some signpost that is not there
And even my befuddled brain
Is shining brightly, quite insane
The chandelier is in full swing
As gifts for me the three kings bring
Of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told
And fat old Buddhas carved in gold
And though it seems they smile with glee
I know in truth they envy me
And watch as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly quite insane
Above all else, confusion reigns
And though I ask, no one explains
My eunuch friend has been and gone
He said that I must soldier on
And though the ferris wheel spins 'round
My tongue it seems has run the ground
And croaks as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly, quite insane
Shine on, hah, shine on, hah, shine on....
Alarm bell rings, it will not stop
And I can see no end in sight
And search in vain by candlelight
For some long road that goes nowhere
For some signpost that is not there
And even my befuddled brain
Is shining brightly, quite insane
The chandelier is in full swing
As gifts for me the three kings bring
Of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told
And fat old Buddhas carved in gold
And though it seems they smile with glee
I know in truth they envy me
And watch as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly quite insane
Above all else, confusion reigns
And though I ask, no one explains
My eunuch friend has been and gone
He said that I must soldier on
And though the ferris wheel spins 'round
My tongue it seems has run the ground
And croaks as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly, quite insane
Shine on, hah, shine on, hah, shine on....
Comments (51)add comment
I'm between an 8 and a 9 on this. Kinda surprising to see the ratings for this song hovering just above 6. I guess you had to be there...
SkiIllinois wrote:
I have briefly heard this at RP once or twice before, but when I saw this comment and heard the song now I instantly agree. It's a 10!
Thank you!
Checked the date on seeing the album art. That alien pianist looks more modern than the late sixties. But then again, it's an alien :)
Checked the date on seeing the album art. That alien pianist looks more modern than the late sixties. But then again, it's an alien :)
trevc wrote:
Music really isn't your thing, is it?
Music really isn't your thing, is it?
lowelltr wrote:
Music really isn't your thing, is it?
Unbelievably bad and very annoying piece of shit - can't even call it a song 
Music really isn't your thing, is it?
Sweet, dude!
Precious lost gem from Back Then.
wow.
Only on RP!
wow.
Only on RP!
Far superior to any EDM so popular now.
Funny (peculiar) how I like a fair few of the old trippy or folk/rock bands like King Crimson, Jethro Tull, yet PH just don't grab my attention (beyond Whiter Shade of Pale)... life (and musical taste) is quite strange really .... ho hum
vandal wrote:
No. Far from it. Even if you really don't like it, how can it be horrible? It's a song!
Cheers.
Horrible. . .
No. Far from it. Even if you really don't like it, how can it be horrible? It's a song!
Cheers.
Saw them in concert back in 72; they were the feature band, but they were clearly upstaged by the opening act which was an upstart new band called 'The Eagles'.
It's not my favorite. I think you have to like Procol in general to appreciate this one. I really like the beat of "Simple Sister". But I guess I always like performers that I've seen live.
Gary Brooker and Procol Harum have always added a refreshing corner to popular music in my opinion. Brooker's piano playing is wonderful, as his his composing, not to mention his crisp, distinctive voice.
laozilover wrote:
There is so much random amateurishness and goofy one-off happenstances in rock n' roll that it makes you giggle.
Gary Brooker is right about the name: Google Translate converted "I'll go buy a cow in town" into the Latin "Ego emere bos in oppido." Doesn't quite trip off the tongue.
Didn't one of the Procol Harum guys dismiss "Whiter Shade of Pale" as an attempt to win a bet that someone couldn't dash off a trippy song? Even that's true and the band was just messin' 'round, they knocked it out of the park.
I don't like the way "Procto..." starts, so I'll stick with Procol Harum --- here's what the band says:
Gary Brooker explains (full interview here)
About the Latin name. How did you invent that?
We didn't invent it, our manager at the time 'phoned up and said he'd found a name. We said, 'What is it?' 'Procol Harum.' 'Oh, great.' And it sounds like us, in fact, sounds like what we sound like, so that was that. He didn't just pluck it out of the air, it was the name of a Pedigree name of a cat of a friend of his. And ... er ... of course everyone went, 'What does it mean? What does it mean?' We didn't know it, so we had to find out. We did find out that we actually had got the name wrong over the telephone, we spelt it wrong. But in Latin, the cat's name was 'Procul' with a 'u' and 'Harun' with an 'n' on the end, 'Beyond these things' in Latin. We got round to saying that Procol Harum in fact meant 'Beyond these things', which was a nice coincidence: at least it didn't mean, 'I'm going to town to buy a cow' or something.
Gary Brooker explains (full interview here)
About the Latin name. How did you invent that?
We didn't invent it, our manager at the time 'phoned up and said he'd found a name. We said, 'What is it?' 'Procol Harum.' 'Oh, great.' And it sounds like us, in fact, sounds like what we sound like, so that was that. He didn't just pluck it out of the air, it was the name of a Pedigree name of a cat of a friend of his. And ... er ... of course everyone went, 'What does it mean? What does it mean?' We didn't know it, so we had to find out. We did find out that we actually had got the name wrong over the telephone, we spelt it wrong. But in Latin, the cat's name was 'Procul' with a 'u' and 'Harun' with an 'n' on the end, 'Beyond these things' in Latin. We got round to saying that Procol Harum in fact meant 'Beyond these things', which was a nice coincidence: at least it didn't mean, 'I'm going to town to buy a cow' or something.
There is so much random amateurishness and goofy one-off happenstances in rock n' roll that it makes you giggle.
Gary Brooker is right about the name: Google Translate converted "I'll go buy a cow in town" into the Latin "Ego emere bos in oppido." Doesn't quite trip off the tongue.
Didn't one of the Procol Harum guys dismiss "Whiter Shade of Pale" as an attempt to win a bet that someone couldn't dash off a trippy song? Even that's true and the band was just messin' 'round, they knocked it out of the park.
An average rating of 6 is really surprising folks. This song is legendary.
i have recently discovered that i love all things procol harum.
This was some good stuff in its day. I liked Procul Harum, a band that really did record more than one song. Their albums were more than a collection of unrelated songs, which do sound of their period today. It's good to hear this again.
I don't recall this or at least hearing it very often back then. Must be a sucker for period pieces, I like it.
great album cover, fits the mood in my mind, a moonlit dusty strip of sandy yard, a gilded trim torso composing at a cranky old set of keys
Something from PH besides Conquistador or Whiter Shade of Pale. Thank you Bill! I like the previous two, but it's nice to hear something else.
oh yeah!!
stubbsz wrote:
That's the guy singing here? What's so special? Seems rather mediocre to me.
Here..help yourself !
That's the guy singing here? What's so special? Seems rather mediocre to me.
Here..help yourself !
Damn Bill, yer really making me smile with this set.
Nice to hear this after so many, what 30? years!!
Rectal Protocol
laozilover wrote:
...at least it didn't mean, 'I'm going to town to buy a cow' or something.
TheLoneIguana wrote:
Actually, I was thinking "Conquistador" slowed way down.
C o n q u i s t a d o r . . . . .
HasseSwede wrote:
Procal Harum,Gary Brooker one of the Greatest vocies ever recorded!...
I agree. I have always loved this guy's singing. I can't make sense out of how some people here find it so hard to respect.
I guess I just identify his voice with prog rock, and find it pleasantly nostalgic.
Not sure if I'm too crazy about this, but at least it's nice to here something other than Whiter Shade of Pale for once.
sully3 wrote:
Turned a Whiter Shade of Pale...Does it not sound like that song? 
Actually, I was thinking "Conquistador" slowed way down.
radiojunkie wrote:
Haven't heard this in a dog's age...a salty dog's age. 
And watch as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly, quite insane
Exactly the way I feel sometimes. How about following this with "Madman Across the Water"? 
It wasn't Madman, but if you hung around long enough tonight we heard "Where To" from Tumbleweed.
I just love this place.
And watch as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly, quite insane
Exactly the way I feel sometimes. How about following this with "Madman Across the Water"? Haven't heard this in a dog's age...a salty dog's age.
And watch as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly, quite insane
Exactly the way I feel sometimes. How about following this with "Madman Across the Water"?
And watch as my befuddled brain
Shines on brightly, quite insane
Exactly the way I feel sometimes. How about following this with "Madman Across the Water"? Friend wrote:
What does the name mean? Its awful close to Proctol Harem.
I don't like the way "Procto..." starts, so I'll stick with Procol Harum --- here's what the band says:
Gary Brooker explains (full interview here)
About the Latin name. How did you invent that?
We didn't invent it, our manager at the time 'phoned up and said he'd found a name. We said, 'What is it?' 'Procol Harum.' 'Oh, great.' And it sounds like us, in fact, sounds like what we sound like, so that was that. He didn't just pluck it out of the air, it was the name of a Pedigree name of a cat of a friend of his. And ... er ... of course everyone went, 'What does it mean? What does it mean?' We didn't know it, so we had to find out. We did find out that we actually had got the name wrong over the telephone, we spelt it wrong. But in Latin, the cat's name was 'Procul' with a 'u' and 'Harun' with an 'n' on the end, 'Beyond these things' in Latin. We got round to saying that Procol Harum in fact meant 'Beyond these things', which was a nice coincidence: at least it didn't mean, 'I'm going to town to buy a cow' or something.
Love this band, not familiar with this song.
Wow, that really blew. Burn the master!
lowelltr wrote:
Unbelievably bad and very annoying piece of shit - can't even call it a song
Harsh dude, harsh. Worse than the Beatles or the Doors?
Unbelievably bad and very annoying piece of shit - can't even call it a song
HasseSwede wrote:
Procal Harum,Gary Brooker one of the Greatest vocies ever recorded!
That's the guy singing here? What's so special? Seems rather mediocre to me.
Much like TTWS you remember them by their name , and sound.
Typesbad wrote:
I never could warm up to these guys.
me neither. Harsh and flat to my ears.
I never could warm up to these guys.
I think I'm going to have to start worshiping procul harum as god....
Friend wrote:But what in blazes does "Proctol Harem" mean??
What does the name mean? Its awful close to Proctol Harem.
What does the name mean? Its awful close to Proctol Harem.
Shiny happy set.
Originally Posted by sully3:
Turned a Whiter Shade of Pale...Does it not sound like that song?
cuz it's the SAME BAND! 
Cool! I love this song...I have their greatest hits...guess i\'ll have to dig that CD up.
Ian Hunter would be much better on vocals.
Wow, forgot about this classic. Wow, thanks Bill!! Just another reason why it\'s so great to listen to RP. It must be more than 20 years since I last heard it on radio which just goes to show how screwed up FM has become.
Shine on brightly, RP.
Procal Harum,Gary Brooker one of the Greatest vocies ever recorded!One track that Bill should dedicate to himselv, \"Man with a mission\" from album,The prodigal stranger.Happy Xmas,HasseSwede