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.
Core
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm going on the trip of a lifetime
Into the bowels of the earth, dear
Since you left me I'm in hell
Digging a band, dig in the sand
Right to the core of the earth, dear
Since you left me I'm in hell
You met some prick, fell in love quick
And in the blink of an eye
Vows they were vowed and knots they were tied
I felt so sick that I died, dear
So pack me a trunk, book me a bunk
I'm bound where the weather is balmy
Into the bowels of the earth, dear
Since you left me I'm in hell
Tears falling from the poet's eyes
Into the freezing snow
The flowing tears will run all the way back
Into his beloved's house
The source of all his misery
With you on my brain, on the ghost train
Dancing a waltz with the corpses
Everything's horrid in hell, dear
Wishing to hell, wishing to hell, wishing to hell you were here
With you on my brain, on the ghost train
Everything's talcum and sulphur
Satan and I and the corpses
Sincerely we wish you were here
The lyrics of Momus's song Core describe a man who is struggling to move on from a failed relationship. The singer is deeply hurt by his lover's departure and seeks solace in a bizarre journey to the core of the earth. The song opens with the lines "Pack me a trunk, book me a bunk, I'm going on the trip of a lifetime." This suggests that the journey is meant to be a one-way trip, as the singer is seeking an escape from the pain of his lost love.
The lyrics go on to describe the singer digging his way to the core of the earth in search of answers. He is accompanied by "a band" and they dig through "the sand". This imagery suggests a physical effort to escape, but also a metaphorical descent into despair. The singer's journey culminates in a surreal scene where he is on a "ghost train" with "Satan and the corpses" as his companions. He wishes for his lover's return, even if it means they are stuck in hell together.
Overall, the song Core is a poignant reflection on the pain and desperation of a broken heart. The singer seeks to escape his feelings by going to extreme lengths, but ultimately realizes that he cannot outrun his grief. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and haunting themes that resonate with anyone who has ever been through a painful breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
Pack me a trunk, book me a bunk
I'm going on the trip of a lifetime
Into the bowels of the earth, dear
Since you left me I'm in hell
I am going on a journey to the core of the earth to escape the pain of your absence, which has made my life a living hell.
Digging a band, dig in the sand
Right to the core of the earth, dear
Since you left me I'm in hell
Wishing that you were here
I am digging into the earth to reach the core, hoping to find some solace, but all I can think about is how much better it would be if you were here with me.
You met some prick, fell in love quick
And in the blink of an eye
Vows they were vowed and knots they were tied
I felt so sick that I died, dear
You found someone else, got married quickly, and it broke my heart so badly that I felt like I died.
So pack me a trunk, book me a bunk
I'm bound where the weather is balmy
Into the bowels of the earth, dear
Since you left me I'm in hell
Please help me escape this torment and send me somewhere warm and sunny, even if that means going to the center of the earth.
Tears falling from the poet's eyes
Into the freezing snow
The flowing tears will run all the way back
Into his beloved's house
The source of all his misery
The poet's tears of sadness fall onto the cold snow, and they will flow all the way back to the home of his beloved, the person who has caused him so much pain.
With you on my brain, on the ghost train
Dancing a waltz with the corpses
Everything's horrid in hell, dear
Wishing to hell, wishing to hell, wishing to hell you were here
Even in my darkest moments, I can't stop thinking about you and I feel like I'm dancing with death. Everything is terrible without you, and all I can do is wish that you were here.
With you on my brain, on the ghost train
Everything's talcum and sulphur
Satan and I and the corpses
Sincerely we wish you were here
Even though Satan and I are surrounded by death and destruction, all we can do is wish that you were here with us.
Contributed by Lincoln Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Schizopantheist
Haunted or haunting, quite dark this album seems. And really great. I'm finding these songs, as well as Hypnoprism, perhaps more sonically rich than anthing i can remember from the Momus catalogue. This furtive Momus of gliding ghostly textures really delights me.
IndigoChildism
Invokes memories of Amelie and abject misery. 'You met some prick, fell in love quick'. Excellent.
Gwilym Wogan
god i love this track. and the video. i feel ridiculously targeted by both, though. a perfect storm of favourite things
Sami Mutant
My sister and I used to sing silly stuff over this song 10 years ago! What a surprise :) Merci Monsieur Momus!