Nick Currie (born February 11, 1960 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK)… Read Full Bio ↴Nick Currie (born February 11, 1960 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK), more popularly known under the artist name Momus (after the Greek god of mockery), is a songwriter, writer, blogger and artist. Most of his songs are self-referential or postmodern.

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 Monkey for Sallie
Momus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I bought a monkey for Sallie
And let it run amok
I bought a monkey for Sallie
It listens to hard rock
It gobbles up our food
Messily
Scribbles on the walls
And especially

Plays with itself
From dawn to dusk
From dusk to the crack of dawn
I bought a monkey for Sallie
Wicked as the day is long

I bought a monkey for Sallie
And let it run amok
It jumps into our bed at night
And fiddles with my cock
Its tail is long and feathery
It swings from the lights
Drinks heavily
And plays with itself
From dawn to dusk
From dusk to the crack of dawn
I bought a monkey for Sallie
Wicked as the day is long

I bought a monkey for Sallie
It's messing up our lives
It plays the barrel organ
And sharpens kitchen knives
I've never seen such lively curiosity
The way it paws at Sallie
And invariably
Plays with itself
From dawn to dusk
From dusk to the crack of dawn

I bought a monkey for Sallie
Wicked as the day is long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Momus's song, "A Monkey for Sallie," depict a man who has bought a monkey for his partner, Sallie. The monkey is described as being mischievous and unruly, to the point where it is causing chaos in their lives. It listens to hard rock music, gobbles up their food messily, scribbles on walls, and constantly plays with itself. The lyrics take a more explicit turn when the monkey starts fiddling with the singer's "cock" and swinging from the lights with its "long and feathery" tail. Despite causing trouble, the monkey is depicted as having a "lively curiosity" that ends up pawing at Sallie and sharpening kitchen knives.

The playful and absurdist tone of the lyrics masks deeper themes of repression and sexual frustration. The monkey serves as a symbol for the singer's desires and impulses that he cannot express in his normal life. The monkey is also an escape from mundane reality, where the singer feels trapped by social norms and expectations. The lyrics suggest a longing for freedom and adventure, even if it means disrupting the established order.

Line by Line Meaning

I bought a monkey for Sallie
I got Sallie a pet monkey

And let it run amok
And allowed it to roam freely with no regard for rules

It listens to hard rock
It enjoys listening to loud and aggressive music

It gobbles up our food Messily
It eats our food without restraint or manners

Scribbles on the walls And especially Plays with itself From dawn to dusk From dusk to the crack of dawn
It has destructive and sexual behaviors, leaving graffiti on the walls and indulging in masturbation continuously throughout the day and night

Wicked as the day is long
It is nefarious and mischievous all day and all night

It jumps into our bed at night And fiddles with my cock
It invades our private space, climbs into our bed, and touches my genitals without permission

Its tail is long and feathery It swings from the lights Drinks heavily And plays with itself From dawn to dusk From dusk to the crack of dawn
It has unpredictable and bizarre behaviors, including swinging from lights, drinking alcohol heavily, and engaging in all-day and all-night masturbation

It's messing up our lives It plays the barrel organ And sharpens kitchen knives I've never seen such lively curiosity
It is disrupting our daily routines and activities, playing music loudly and sharpening knives, despite exhibiting a unique fascination for the world around it

Contributed by Liam C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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