Procol Harum – Homburg lyrics

This beautiful, sad song reminds me of my lonely nights as a businessman away from home. So to me this song is about a businessman in a foreign country, alone at night in a hotel room, who just had sex with a colleague (multilingual business friend) who left afterwards (leaving ash-filled ashtrays and the lipsticked unmade bed).
The man feels lonely and confused: he looks around at the hotel room furniture (the mirror, the floor, the ceiling); he feels distressed and bewildered as opposed to his usual everyday behaviour as a neat and organized businessman, both in terms of formal wearing (trouser cuffs dirty, shoes laced up wrong, etc), of the strict timing of his business agenda (the clock stands waiting, etc.), of his organized meetings (the signposts cease to sign, etc.).

I love this song and I figured an interpretation a couple days ago. But FIRST, I love the above comments and I agree with them both. Here's my interpretation: The song is about a man that was dumped by a woman. The woman was from a different class, or "higher class" so to speak. The first Stanza is about the man's feeling of desperation, when he's extra aware of the ashtrays, and searches his own mind for answers. The chorus is the last rant she said to him before she left, and now he feels worse. The mirror reflection climbing back upon the wall is demonstrating how he feels and likewise, reminds him that she dumped him because he wasn't in her class. The beautiful melody represents the emotions the man is having, but his mind and soul are nursing his wounds. He's fixated on the concept that she doesn't accept his place, his taste...him...everything about the narrator. The second stanza is her environment, which seems to be the town square. The clock, the hands, the people about...This is where the woman belongs and came from. Whereas she rejected him in the first stanza, now he is rejecting her and likewise her environment and place in society. The narrator repeating the chorus is his way of returning the insult and now using her own words against her and yet, regaining his confidence. Now I got my interpretation's point of view from the melody and sounds oft he instrument. As this song sounds sad, it also stands as a happy one, for like other procol harum songs, I feel the singer is comforting himself by reminding him of himself and his own merits. I hope someone would like to comment on my interpretation. Sincerely, John T

Reminds me of coming down many years ago - as reality trys to creep in and force the unreal calm and prettiness away - perfection or even happiness seeming unattainable - despite the knowledge that it was all unreal immediate attempts to 'fit in' only highlight shortcomings -ending with a warning that if you continue to attempt to recreate the feelings they will eventually destroy any chance of returning to reality in a positive way - deep huh!

The 'multi lingual business friend' in reality was a young and talented furniture designer, who gave up on her relationship with a much older friend. The mirror climbing back upon the wall refers to her realisation that the relationship was never going to work. The floor decending describes her gut wrenching feeling of remorse and guilt, the ceiling too tall meaning she could no longer reach out in the relationship.
The town clock verse is a reflection by the young woman that she had no control of the time, the issues of age or the terrible effect her decision to quit the relationship had on her friend and probably herself. It takes a remarkably long time to build a relationship but an instant to be a fool and be devoured by a mistake perhaps?
The chorus is the post relationship feeling she had of being wretched and inadequate.
Ms. 2011.