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.
Bibliotek
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And life would go on
But I never did
And it never did
You were the only one who knew me
And now you have gone
I keep it all hid
Like a book that goes unread
In a library stack
In a bibliotek
No-one takes me out
And no-one takes me back
To my bibliotek
Bibliotek
They say it's normal
That nothing at all
Is lasting so long
Lasting so long
There was a silence in heaven
About the space of half an hour
I'll just have to be strong
Have to be strong
And no-one takes me out
And no-one takes me back
To my library stack
Reflections on damaged life
Minima Moralia
Bibliotek
Bibliotek
Bibliotek
Like a book on a shelf
That's never been read
I am wasted
Untasted
You were the only one who knew
All the things that I hid
They said I'd get over you
But I never did
The song "Bibliotek" by Momus is a melancholic reflection on lost love and isolation. The opening lines "They said that I'd get over you / And life would go on / But I never did / And it never did" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is struggling to move on from a past relationship, and is haunted by memories of the person who "knew me" better than anyone else. The imagery of the "library stack" or "Bibliotek" serves as a metaphor for the singer's loneliness and isolation. They feel like a book gathering dust on a shelf, waiting to be discovered but overlooked by everyone else.
The song's reference to "Minima Moralia" is a nod to the book by philosopher Theodor Adorno, which explores the idea of cultural and political disintegration in post-World War II Germany. The phrase "reflections on damaged life" also appears in the book, and reflects the singer's sense of disillusionment and despair in the wake of their failed relationship.
Overall, "Bibliotek" is a poignant meditation on love, loss, and the human need for connection. Momus's lyrics are introspective and deeply emotional, capturing the pain and complexity of the singer's experience.
Line by Line Meaning
They said that I'd get over you
People told me I would move on from you
And life would go on
And the rest of my life would continue
But I never did
But I never really got over you
And it never did
And life never returned to how it was before
You were the only one who knew me
You were the only person who truly understood me
And now you have gone
And now you are no longer here
I keep it all hid
I keep all of my feelings hidden
Like a book that goes unread
Like a book that no one bothers to read
In a library stack
In a stack of books in the library
In a bibliotek
In a place of books, as spelled in Danish
No-one takes me out
No one picks me up to read
And no-one takes me back
And no one returns me to my spot
To my bibliotek
Back to my place in the library
Bibliotek
Library, in Danish
They say it's normal
People say it's typical
That nothing at all
That nothing lasts forever
Is lasting so long
Lasting for an extended period of time
There was a silence in heaven
There was a moment of stillness in the universe
About the space of half an hour
For only thirty minutes
I'll just have to be strong
I'll have to find inner strength to carry on
Reflections on damaged life
Thoughts on my life that has been hurt and harmed
Minima Moralia
Title of a book by philosopher Theodor Adorno
Like a book on a shelf
Similar to a book sitting on a shelf
That's never been read
That has yet to be opened or explored
I am wasted
I feel like I am not being used or appreciated
Untasted
Unexperienced or never tried
All the things that I hid
All of the things that I kept hidden from others
They said I'd get over you
People believed I would eventually move on from you
But I never did
But I never did truly move on from you
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
oorlab
all new tracks from Momus (as far as I heard them in the Bibliotekplaylist - sound very original, creative and pleasing to the ear.
Patrick Finn
Great song and video Momus. There is something beautiful about the idea of a library during a snowstorm. Civilization providing shelter from the elements. This specific library is beautiful. I love how in the snowstorm, the library's austere, antiseptic whiteness is also a feature of the natural environment outside. The whole world seems beautiful, but inhospitable, which is also how one feels when their heart is broken. Where is it?
HAL126
It's 21 Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Very beautiful and well designed museum.
Oot Oot
0:46:I get the feeling this structure influenced the design of Falskkiosk? Wonderful work.
falgiano
I dig it.
Erin Merle
This is the institution that financed Drawing Restraint 9 (another 'tribute'). It's quite the building.
holygalaga
i wanna take that elevator out on a date
stjamesdawson
"Good one," says the 56th viewer to check out (!) this video. Can't wait to get the album.
megassus
On the way in the underground from my tab -