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.
Born to be Adored
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother was the Emperor's secretary
My father, a notorious libertine
Escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain
You can read my family's rise and fall in Gibbon
I was born to be adored by women
Well Seth begat Clem and then Clem begat Ruth
The tribes all began to multiply and boom
And, looking at their kids, no-one knew from whom
The beautiful things kept springing
I was born to be adored by women
My hair is long, distinguished, prematurely grey
I've got a mouth like Ernest Hemingway's ashtray
I've fathered 103 illegitimate kids
I've never met a mother I couldn't bed
I love children, spiders, snakes, and anything living
I was born to be adored by women
Some guys can erect garden furniture
That must be what God invented husbands for
But if you need a milk chocolate in the shape of a man
If you need a chunk of marzipan the size of Taiwan
Look up the chimney, see what Santa's bringing
I was born to be adored by women
Well I know I'm always late since my watch got sold
But I'm worth the wait, the weight in gold
After God made me, they broke the mold
And I've broken all the records with that old song
Bold girls are so fond of singing
I was born to be adored by women
Well my favourite bird is the cuckoo, punk
My favourite beast the funky skunk
My favourite colour is the emerald green
Chuck the football king goes when his beauty queen
Comes to me when she's chucked him in
I was born to be adored by women
What I don't know about love technique
You could scribble in biro on the balls of your feet
I never wear underwear, I drive a dead beat Landrover
In my bare feet stark naked, there's always one more river to go swim in
I was born to be adored by women
The song "Born to be Adored" by Momus is a humorous yet narcissistic piece that reflects on the singer's persona, who thinks himself to be the epitome of male charm, virility, and charisma. The song begins with the singer's lineage and how his parents were renowned for their extravagant lifestyles. His father is a libertine who escaped from the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and his mother was the Emperor's secretary in Araby. The singer claims that his family's history is described in Edward Gibbon's "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."
The song continues with the singer boasting about his charm and popularity among women. He claims that he was born to be adored by women and relishes his status as a ladies' man. The singer describes his appearance, which includes distinguished grey hair and a mouth that resembles Ernest Hemingway's ashtray, which only adds to his charisma. He claims to be the father of 103 illegitimate children, and no woman has ever managed to resist his charm. The singer's interests are also noteworthy - he loves children, spiders, snakes, and all living creatures.
As the song progresses, the singer makes some hilarious assertions. He believes that some guys are meant to erect garden furniture and that he was born to be adored by women. He talks about his love for marzipan, Santa Clause, Cuckoos and funky skunks, and the fact that he knows everything about love techniques that you can write down on the balls of your feet. This humorous song ends with the singer asserting that he was born to be adored by women, and he enjoys flaunting his charm and good looks.
Line by Line Meaning
I was created in the fleshpots of Araby
I was born in a place filled with luxurious and sensual living, possibly in the Middle East
My mother was the Emperor's secretary
My mother worked as a secretary for the Emperor, indicating a high status profession
My father, a notorious libertine
Escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain
My father was known for promiscuity and immorality and fled from the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
You can read my family's rise and fall in Gibbon
The history of my family's success and subsequent downfall can be read in the works of historian Edward Gibbon
I was born to be adored by women
My destiny is to be loved by women
Well Seth begat Clem and then Clem begat Ruth
And then Ruth begat me and all hell broke loose
The tribes all began to multiply and boom
And, looking at their kids, no-one knew from whom
The beautiful things kept springing
I was born to be adored by women
My family tree has many branches and it is not clear who fathered each child, but nonetheless, I was born to be loved by women
My hair is long, distinguished, prematurely grey
I've got a mouth like Ernest Hemingway's ashtray
I've fathered 103 illegitimate kids
I've never met a mother I couldn't bed
I love children, spiders, snakes, and anything living
I was born to be adored by women
I have notable grey hair and an unclean mouth. Despite having over a hundred illegitimate children and a history of seducing mothers, I love all living beings and am meant to be adored by women
Some guys can erect garden furniture
That must be what God invented husbands for
But if you need a milk chocolate in the shape of a man
If you need a chunk of marzipan the size of Taiwan
Look up the chimney, see what Santa's bringing
I was born to be adored by women
While some men are good at building furniture, I believe men were created to be lovers. If ever you need a chocolate man or a large piece of marzipan, come to me for I am loved by women
Well I know I'm always late since my watch got sold
But I'm worth the wait, the weight in gold
After God made me, they broke the mold
And I've broken all the records with that old song
Bold girls are so fond of singing
I was born to be adored by women
I may always run late now that I have no watch, but I'm worth waiting for and precious like gold. After God created me, no one else could be fashioned like me. I am known for my song and loved by bold women
Well my favourite bird is the cuckoo, punk
My favourite beast the funky skunk
My favourite colour is the emerald green
Chuck the football king goes when his beauty queen
Comes to me when she's chucked him in
I was born to be adored by women
I admire the cuckoo and skunk, and my chosen colour is emerald green. When the football king's beauty leaves him, she comes to me for love as I was born to be adored by women
What I don't know about love technique
You could scribble in biro on the balls of your feet
I never wear underwear, I drive a dead beat Landrover
In my bare feet stark naked, there's always one more river to go swim in
I was born to be adored by women
There isn't anything I don't know about love and one could write it on their feet with a pen. I prefer not wearing underwear and I drive an old Landrover. Even when I'm naked, there is always more to experience in life because of my destiny to be loved by women
Contributed by Layla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lee Stringer
why do i love this song so much
Geoffrey Wells
Just as genius as Cohen, just not given the recognition.
Martin Del Carpio
Love how this track sounds
Jess Manuel
Damn. This song is golden.
Anca Truţa
Lets share to everyone his songs!!
The87th
i love the lyrics. and voice is so soft and sensual.
alejandromartinm
Mucha canción!
Alan Waller
Beautiful.
Maarttttt
My hair is long, distinguished, prematurely grey I've got a mouth like Ernest Hemingway's ashtray You'd have to live on charisma.
greenaum
If you don't have a lot of charisma you can always go on the dole.