# What is Procol Harum's "Homburg" about?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 20, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382 "2006-06-20T01:51:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Don\_Logan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Don\_Logan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Logan)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382/1 "2006-06-20T01:51:52Z")

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I could have sworn I posted this last night- If I did and it sank, please delete this- I could not find it in a general search.

If not, does anyone have any ideas on the meaning of the lyrics? Is it a metaphor for something? A simple tale? Drugged out nonsense?

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**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382/2 "2006-06-20T04:44:37Z")

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Just so people know what you’re talking about, [here are “Homburg’s” lyrics.](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/procol+harum/homburg_20111598.html)

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382/3 "2006-06-20T12:32:37Z")

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You posted it in General Questions. Any my answer is the same as before: It’s about the same thing as “A White Shade of Pale.”

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**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-procol-harums-homburg-about/361382/4 "2023-12-10T07:24:22Z")

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I know it’s been more than 17 years since the last post but I’ve been listening to this song again and I have some theories to posit.

Each verse is meant to be taken separately. The first verse takes The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” and retells the song from a second-person point of view. The second verse is about WWIII with the town clock’s hands turning backward a reference to the countdown before the nuclear explosion. The chorus describes being in over your head and not knowing it until it’s too late.

Since this wasn’t possible in 2006, here’s a video of the song.  
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K6wCiWCDyM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K6wCiWCDyM)