For more than twenty years he has been releasing, to only marginal commercial and critical success, playful and transgressive albums on labels in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan. In his lyrics and his other writing he makes seemingly random use of decontextualized pieces of continental (mostly French) philosophy, and has built up a personal world he says is "dominated by values like diversity, orientalism, and a respect for otherness." He is also known in certain circles outside the U.S. as a producer. He is fascinated by identity, Japan, the avant-garde, time travel and sex. Live Momus shows are rare but when he does perform he often sings the crowd favourite 'maf' from the Stars Forever LP.
He wears a patch over his right eye because he lost the use of it after contracting acanthamoeba keratitis from a contact lens case washed with Greek tap water.
Nick Currie currently resides in Osaka, Japan.
A Dull Documentary
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wears Mummy's lipstick
The babysitter watches a dull documentary
I'm on the fire escape
Waiting impatiently
Anticipating what you're saving up for me
It's a Saturday night
At last we're alone
I whisper the good things that I'm going to do to you
All night long
By the light of a dull documentary
I will fuck you so tenderly
Little by little and splendidly
And when we undress underneath the piano
And when I'm caressing your skin
The air will grow colder
When over your shoulder
I see the door open
And the little girl come in
And you'll dip from above
And I'll feel you below gripping my love
Your hair tickles my face
As you show me the sensitive place
All night long
By the light of a dull documentary
When you open your thighs to me
I see the little girl stretching her eyes at me
This reminds me of when I was five
And I followed the sound of the bedsprings creaking
And there in the bulb-light
I witnessed the strange sight
Of two grown-up people
Bouncing and shrieking
All night long
By the light of a dull documentary
Casting new light on the primal scene
Makes me remember the good things I've seen
And I'll go on providing this spectacle
'Til we come or the little girl goes
Go on providing the rhythm of life
While you play the tune with your toes, it goes .....
The lyrics of Momus's song A Dull Documentary seem to be talking about a man and a woman's sexual encounter while a little girl is sleeping in the same place. The man is eagerly waiting for this moment and is fantasizing about tenderly making love to his partner, but the presence of the little girl brings in a sense of danger and fear. The man tries to ignore it and continues with the act, but when the little girl enters the room, it becomes a shocking and uncomfortable situation for everyone involved.
The lyrics express a sense of guilt and regret surrounding the sexual encounter, but it also reveals a fascination with the primal sexual urge. The dull documentary playing in the background seems to reflect the societal norms and expectations that the couple is trying to adhere to, but ultimately failing. The song paints a picture of people indulging in their primal desires, breaking societal norms, and dealing with the consequences that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
The little girl plays chopsticks
The little girl is playing chopsticks on the piano by tapping her fingers on the keys.
Wears Mummy's lipstick
The little girl is wearing lipstick which belongs to her mother.
The babysitter watches a dull documentary
The babysitter is watching a boring documentary, keeping an eye on the little girl.
I'm on the fire escape
The artist is on the fire escape, waiting outside the building.
Waiting impatiently
The artist is impatient and eagerly waiting for something.
Anticipating what you're saving up for me
The singer is anticipating what the person inside is keeping for them.
It's a Saturday night
The events described are taking place on a Saturday night.
The little girl is tucked up tight
The little girl is sleeping soundly and safely.
At last we're alone
The artist and the other person are finally alone.
I whisper the good things that I'm going to do to you
The artist is whispering what they have planned to do with the other person.
All night long
The events described will happen throughout the night.
By the light of a dull documentary
The dull documentary is playing and providing the only light in the room.
I will fuck you so tenderly
The singer and the other person will engage in sexual intercourse.
Little by little and splendidly
The singer will perform the act of sex with the other person, slowly and magnificently.
And when we undress underneath the piano
The singer and the other person will undress under the piano.
And when I'm caressing your skin
The artist will gently touch and caress the other person's skin.
The air will grow colder
The temperature in the room will reduce.
When over your shoulder
The singer is behind the other person.
I see the door open
The singer is looking at the door while standing behind the other person.
And the little girl come in
The little girl comes into the room.
And you'll dip from above
The other person will move downwards.
And I'll feel you below gripping my love
The artist can feel the other person's touch and movement.
Your hair tickles my face
The other person's hair is touching the singer's face.
As you show me the sensitive place
The other person is showing the artist a sensitive part of their body.
When you open your thighs to me
The other person will open their thighs to the singer.
I see the little girl stretching her eyes at me
The little girl is watching what is happening between the singer and the other person with surprise.
This reminds me of when I was five
The events described remind the singer of when they were five years old.
And I followed the sound of the bedsprings creaking
The artist followed the sound of bedsprings creaking when they were five years old.
And there in the bulb-light
The artist observed the scene in a dimly-lit room with a lightbulb.
I witnessed the strange sight
The singer saw a strange and unfamiliar sight.
Of two grown-up people
The singer saw two adults.
Bouncing and shrieking
The two adults were bouncing and shrieking during their sexual activity.
Casting new light on the primal scene
The dull documentary is providing a new perspective on the scene described earlier.
Makes me remember the good things I've seen
The documentary reminds the artist of some pleasant memories.
And I'll go on providing this spectacle
The singer will continue to provide this spectacle or performance.
'Til we come or the little girl goes
The performers will continue until they achieve orgasm or the little girl leaves.
Go on providing the rhythm of life
The singer and the other person will continue to engage in sexual intercourse, which is considered the rhythm of life.
While you play the tune with your toes, it goes .....
The singer is referring to the other person playing music with their toes while having sex.
Contributed by Leo M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.