Eleven Executioners
Momus Lyrics

Eleven top hats
There are eleven gentlemen in the club, each wearing a top hat.

In the club vestibule
They are gathered in the entrance hall of the club.

Eleven gentlemen's cloaks
Each of the gentlemen has a cloak hanging up, likely due to the cool weather outside or in the club.

Hanging up by the black swimming pool
The cloaks are hanging near or around a dark, and possibly ominous, swimming pool.

Eleven gentlemen dancing
All eleven men are feeling merry and dancing in the club.

Each in a style of his own
Each of the men is dancing in their unique style or way.

One is discreetly conversing
One of the gentlemen is having a private conversation via his cordless phone.

On a cordless telephone
The man's conversation partner is not nearby, and he is free to move about while continuing his talk on his cordless phone.

And the first he kills only the wicked
An executioner kills only those who are wicked or deserving of punishment.

And the second kills only the good
A second executioner kills only those who are good or virtuous, which is an unusual characteristic for a killer.

And the third he kills people more handsome than him
The third killer targets those who are more attractive or handsome than themselves, which may stem from feelings of inadequacy.

And the fourth kills the misunderstood
Another murderer targets those who are innocent or misunderstood, possibly because they believe they are making things right.

And the fifth kills the women who've loved him
The fifth executioner kills those who have loved him, likely as an act of revenge or twisted affection.

And the sixth kills the couldn't-care-less
The sixth killer targets those who are indifferent or apathetic, possibly because they see this as a character flaw.

The seventh kills people who fill questionnaires in
The seventh executioner targets those who fill out questionnaires, which may seem like an odd or arbitrary target.

The eighth kills the deeply depressed
The eighth murderer targets those who are suffering from deep depression.

And the ninth kills the twentieth century
The ninth killer targets the era of the 20th century, perhaps symbolically representing a rejection of modernity or change.

And the tenth waits to kill you and me
The tenth executioner is waiting and prepared to kill both the singer and the listener of the song.

The eleventh kills only our fear of the tenth
The final executioner kills only our fear, particularly our fear of the tenth killer.

The best executioner he
The eleventh killer is deemed the best because they rid us of our fears.

At some ungodly hour in the morning
The quarrels and events of the song take place at a very late or early hour, contributing to the surreal imagery.

The predictable quarrels begin
The gentlemen begin to quarrel in a way that seems expected or typical for them.

The first gentleman without warning
The first man strikes the second unexpectedly, likely in a fit of rage.

Slugs the second one square on the chin
He hits him directly and firmly in the face.

And the third says the fourth is too ugly
The third man insults the fourth by calling him ugly.

And the fifth warns the sixth not to start
The fifth man cautions the sixth not to begin any trouble or quarrels.

And the seventh stops dead in his telephone call
The seventh man's phone conversation is suddenly interrupted.

A stiletto has punctured his heart
He has been stabbed in the chest with a sharp object.

And the eighth is sick in the cistern
The eighth man is ill and vomiting in the toilet bowl or cistern.

And the floodwaters fuse all the lights
Flooding causes the lights in the club to short circuit and stop working.

And the ninth drops his copy of 'Jane's Defence Systems' on the floor
The ninth man drops his book on military defense tactics, potentially symbolizing a loss of hope or preparedness.

In an act of sheer spite
The dropping of the book is done in a malicious or spiteful way.

And the tenth drums his fingers and swings his feet
The tenth executioner is restless and impatient, and expresses this through his fidgeting.

Because somebody's stolen his scythe
The tenth man is missing his weapon of choice, a scythe, which is likely causing him frustration.

Til an expert in brinksmanship brings him complete
An expert arrives to help the tenth man and brings him what he needs in order to act.

A medium range nuclear device
The expert brings a type of powerful nuclear weapon, potentially escalating the already surreal events of the song.

And now chairs will be placed on the dance floor
The club is being rearranged, likely in preparation for something big or important.

And now lights will be trained on the bar
Spotlights are being focused on the bar, possibly signaling the start of a performance or serious event.

And a puppet will sing a morality
A puppet will be used to perform an educational or philosophical song, possibly as a form of entertainment or distraction.

As an idiot strums a guitar
A foolish, unskilled person is playing a guitar, perhaps adding to the absurdity of the scene.

While the gentlemen sit with erections
The male attendees are all aroused or sexually excited, potentially hinting at the depravity or decadence of the club's culture.

You perform in a transparent skirt
A performer, presumably female, is wearing a revealing outfit that exposes her legs, perhaps adding to the sexually charged atmosphere.

A climax without satisfaction
Something reaches a point of extreme intensity or climax, but it doesn't bring any meaningful or satisfying resolution.

And a murder in which you're not hurt
Even though there is a murder or killing taking place, the performer or singer is not in danger and remains unharmed, contributing to the unreal and absurd nature of the song.

And me, I sit where the gentlemen sit
The singer is present in the club and is sitting amongst the other men.

And we love you
The group collectively expresses their love or admiration for someone or something.

Yes we love you
Their feelings of love and adoration are repeated and emphasized.

I assure you we do
The singer tries to confirm or reaffirm the group's feelings of love or admiration.

La la-la-la la la-la-la ..... Plainy!
This line is nonsensical and serves as a repeating chorus or refrain throughout the song, adding to its surreal and dreamlike nature.

La la-la-la la la-la-la ..... Clappy!
This is another line in the repetitive chorus, it denotes clapping or a tempo change in the song.

La la-la-la la la-la-la ..... Rolly!
An additional line in the chorus, this one has lyrics that contain the word "roll," indicating some sort of rhythmic movement or action.

La la-la-la la la-la-la ..... Backy!
Likely the final line in the chorus, "backy" is a nonsensical word that could refer to a certain dance move or motion.

Rattle tum a gypsum gypsum ..... Left Hand!
This nonsensical phrase is repeated several times throughout the song as a sort of call-and-response or to add to the dreamlike, absurd atmosphere of the song.

Rattle tum a gypsum gypsum ..... Right!
Another nonsensical phrase repeated in the song, which could be responding to the previous line or starting a new one.

Rattle tum a gypsum gypsum ..... Touch your heel!
A command or direction to touch one's heel in some way, potentially as part of a dance or rhythmic movement.

Rattle tum a gypsum gypsum ..... Touch your toe!
Similar to the previous line, this is a command to touch one's toe in time with the rhythm of the song.

Rattle tum a gypsum gypsum ..... Touch the ground!
Another action directed by the song, this one instructing someone to touch the ground in time with the beat.

Rattle tum a gypsum gypsum ..... Big Burlio!
This line is just as odd and confusing as the other repeated lines. It could refer to a dance or a certain movement, or it could just be complete nonsense.