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.
Evil Genius
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An evil genius
Best friend of Beelzebub
And Epicurus
Old Macdonald had a farm
Totally devoid of charm
Face it now your other friends
Look really tedious
An evil genius
Welcome to my secret lair
My evil palace
Evil statues, evil fountains
Evil sun on evil mountains
Have an evil glass of wine
Made with malice
May I introduce my wife?
Evil Alice
Women are attracted to
The evil genius
Probing for his inner being
They find his penis
His boudoir philosophy
Is such seductive sophistry
The girls will drink his Kool-Aid
When he leaves for Venus
Oh what fun it is to love
An evil genius
Who will set you dreaming in
A world that's dreamless?
Who will earth your discontent
Your stubborn meanness?
Old Rasputin had a beard
The Etruscans disappeared
Circumstantial evidence
Of evil genius
Oh what fun it is to be
An evil genius
Who will inherit the mantle of
The evil genius?
Who will take the world over
When he leaves us?
Who'll drag the world up to his level
The pedestal of subtle evil?
Don't believe in groping God
Or groupie Jesus
Oh what fun it is to be
An evil genius
Old Macdonald had a farm
There is no cause for alarm
Oh what fun it is to be
A total genius
So turn to Beelzebub
Or Zoroaster
Evil's just a way of life
So there's your answer
Criminal insanity
Is such a lovely energy
Oh what fun it is to be
An evil genius
The song Evil Genius, by Momus, is a sarcastic take on the trope of the evil genius as a mysterious and alluring figure. In the first stanza, Momus sings about the joys of being an "evil genius" and how it sets you apart from the "other friends" who are "tedious." He references Greek philosopher Epicurus and the demon Beelzebub, hinting at the mythological and philosophical traditions that his persona draws on.
In the second stanza, Momus invites the listener into his "secret lair" to meet his wife, "Evil Alice," and see the evil decor. He continues with the theme of seduction, suggesting that women are attracted to the "evil genius" and will even drink his Kool-Aid (a metaphor for becoming indoctrinated into his worldview). He uses a subtle rhyme scheme to make lines like "made with malice" and "seductive sophistry" sound playful and catchy.
In the final stanza, Momus reflects on the legacy of the evil genius and how it will continue after he is gone. He references historical figures like Rasputin and the Etruscans, as well as suggesting that criminal insanity is a "lovely energy" that drives the evil genius. The song ends with a call to embrace evil as "just a way of life," and a suggestion to turn to Beelzebub or Zoroaster for guidance.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh what fun it is to be
An evil genius
Being an evil genius is a lot of fun.
Best friend of Beelzebub
And Epicurus
I am friends with both the devil and a philosopher who believed pleasure was the greatest good.
Old Macdonald had a farm
Totally devoid of charm
A boring and charmless person like Old Macdonald cannot compare to being an evil genius.
Face it now your other friends
Look really tedious
Once you know an evil genius, your other friends seem boring in comparison.
Oh what fun it is to know
An evil genius
Knowing an evil genius is a lot of fun.
Welcome to my secret lair
My evil palace
I have an evil palace which is also my secret lair.
Evil statues, evil fountains
Evil sun on evil mountains
Everything in my evil palace is evil, including the statues, fountains, sun, and mountains.
Have an evil glass of wine
Made with malice
I offer my guests an evil glass of wine that was made with malicious intent.
May I introduce my wife?
Evil Alice
My wife's name is Evil Alice.
Women are attracted to
The evil genius
Women are drawn to the evil genius.
Probing for his inner being
They find his penis
When women try to understand the evil genius, they end up discovering his penis.
His boudoir philosophy
Is such seductive sophistry
The evil genius's philosophy in the bedroom is seductive and deceptive.
The girls will drink his Kool-Aid
When he leaves for Venus
Women will believe anything the evil genius says, even when he goes to Venus.
Oh what fun it is to love
An evil genius
Loving an evil genius is a lot of fun.
Who will set you dreaming in
A world that's dreamless?
The evil genius will give you something to dream about in a world that is otherwise mundane.
Who will earth your discontent
Your stubborn meanness?
The evil genius will give you an outlet for your discontent and meanness.
Old Rasputin had a beard
The Etruscans disappeared
Certain historical figures are associated with evil genius, such as Rasputin and the Etruscans.
Circumstantial evidence
Of evil genius
There is circumstantial evidence of certain people being an evil genius.
Who will inherit the mantle of
The evil genius?
When the evil genius is gone, who will take over his role?
Who will take the world over
When he leaves us?
The evil genius has the power to take over the world when he is gone.
Who'll drag the world up to his level
The pedestal of subtle evil?
The evil genius can lift the world up to his level of subtle evil.
Don't believe in groping God
Or groupie Jesus
The evil genius doesn't believe in a higher power or following someone blindly.
Old Macdonald had a farm
There is no cause for alarm
Old Macdonald's boring farm poses no threat to the evil genius.
Oh what fun it is to be
A total genius
Being a genius is fun, especially if that genius is evil.
So turn to Beelzebub
Or Zoroaster
When in doubt, turn to the devil or a great philosopher like Zoroaster.
Evil's just a way of life
So there's your answer
Being evil is just a way of life, which is why it's so fun to be an evil genius.
Criminal insanity
Is such a lovely energy
Being criminally insane is an amazing source of energy for the evil genius.
Oh what fun it is to be
An evil genius
Being an evil genius is a lot of fun.
Contributed by Alexis N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.