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.
Cheekbone
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is your uncle
Living underground
In a bunker
He's a poser
He's a theorem
He's an answer
To no question
He's got a girlfriend
She's always dressed the same
In a white shirt
With a white brain
It's just the outcome
Of a system
He's an abstract
He's a pot freak
He's a wise guy
She gives him deep throat
She's a gay boy
Life's a cabaret
When you're a wild thing
I'm a victim
Of the glycerine
In the system
He's an idol
He's an idiot
He's a gumshoe
In a black tie
He's a criminal
With a flash car
And the cash flow
It's subliminal
Professor Cheekbone
Is your uncle
Living underground
In a bunker
He's a wise guy
She gives him deep throat
She's a gay boy
Life's a cabaret
When you're a wild thing
I'm a victim
Of the glycerine
In the system
He's a poser
He's a theorem
He's an answer
To no question
The song "Cheekbone" is a satirical take on society's obsession with appearances and the idea of being cool or trendy. The lyrics describe a character named Professor Cheekbone, who is portrayed as an enigmatic figure living underground in a bunker. He is described as a "poser," a "theorem," and an "answer to no question," highlighting the idea that he is someone who is trying to appear important or relevant, but ultimately has no real substance.
The song also introduces Professor Cheekbone's girlfriend, who is always dressed in the same white shirt and described as having a "white brain," possibly symbolizing a lack of intelligence or original thought. It's suggested that this relationship is superficial and solely based on appearance or status.
The repeated phrase "life's a cabaret when you're a wild thing" suggests that those who conform to societal expectations of coolness or trendiness live exciting lives, but ultimately there is no real substance or meaning to their existence. The line "I'm a victim of the glycerine in the system" could be interpreted as a criticism of the media and advertising, which often promote unrealistic and harmful beauty standards.
Overall, "Cheekbone" is a critique of a society that values superficiality over substance.
Line by Line Meaning
Professor Cheekbone
The character Professor Cheekbone
Is your uncle
Is a person in your family
Living underground
Living in a bunker underground
In a bunker
A specific type of underground location
He's a poser
He pretends to be something he's not
He's a theorem
He's an idea that's been proven
He's an answer
He's a solution to a problem
To no question
But there's no problem to solve
He's got a girlfriend
He has a romantic partner
She's always dressed the same
She wears the same type of clothing
In a white shirt
In a shirt that's white
With a white brain
She's not very creative or original
It's just the outcome
It's the result of something else
Of a system
Of a specific way of doing things
He's an abstract
He's more of an idea than a person
He's a pot freak
He's obsessed with marijuana
He's a wise guy
He's a smart aleck
She gives him deep throat
She performs oral sex on him
She's a gay boy
She's not conforming to gender norms
Life's a cabaret
Life is an exciting show
When you're a wild thing
When you're living unconventionally
I'm a victim
I'm being negatively affected
Of the glycerine
Of the chemicals in my system
In the system
In the way things are structured
He's an idol
He's someone people look up to
He's an idiot
He's stupid
He's a gumshoe
He's a detective
In a black tie
Wearing formal attire
He's a criminal
He breaks the law
With a flash car
With a luxurious car
And the cash flow
And a lot of money
It's subliminal
It's happening without being consciously noticed
Contributed by Alexandra O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
falgiano
Spooky, dark, subliminal. Love the low understated vocal. Going to listen again :-)
Erin Merle
A bit like Professor Shaftenberg. All your professors seem to get that hilarious dance beat. The part where the girlfriend materializes is a nice little essay on 80s mainstream androgyny. Doesn't really seem like a tribute though.