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.
Heliogabalus
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He committed no murder
Oh yes, some died of fright when they woke up in the night
To find a leopard in the room where they'd been lain after the feast
They should have known, those silly fools, the beast was tame
Heliogabalus wasn't to blame
For the deaths I'm illustrating in this quilt
Cannot share any guilt
Some lived to suffocate under the suffocating weight
Of a thousand fresh-cut blooms
He sent cascading from the ceiling of his room
Upon a crowd of his admirers
How was he to know some sybarites
Would drown beneath the flowers?
If a parasite can't swim should we blame him?
He was blond, he had blue eyes, he was completely without guilt
As I intend to demonstrate in my Heliogabalus quilt
They condemn his four year reign, his naked chariot team
The deadly snakes released in the forum at the climax of the games
His nights of gay debauchery, rushing through the slums
Disguised as tavern potboys, perfume sellers, barbers
Such exaggeration, such slanders!
If you'd been emperor of Rome at the age of just 15
Wouldn't you have done the same?
So why then does his name
Retain the mantle of the evil always claimed by joyless vultures
To explain the strange allure of other cultures?
Heliogabalus wasn't to blame
He was beautiful and sexy and completely without guilt
As I intend to demonstrate right here in this quilt
Condemn me freely if you wish
But when my quilt is finished
I intend to sleep as soundly and as well
As Heliogabalus in hell
The song "Heliogabalus" by Momus is a critique of the way the historical figure of Heliogabalus has been portrayed throughout history. In the song, Momus tries to demonstrate that many of the stories about Heliogabalus are exaggerations or outright lies. Momus suggests that while some of the deaths that occurred during Heliogabalus' reign were unfortunate accidents, he did not commit any acts of murder. For example, Momus says that the leopard that killed some of Heliogabalus' guests was tame and should not be blamed on the emperor. Similarly, Momus argues that the deaths caused by the flowers he showered on his admires were the fault of the sybarites who drowned, rather than Heliogabalus himself.
Momus also asks his listeners to consider the context of Heliogabalus' reign. He was only 15 years old when he became emperor of Rome, and he had to navigate a complex political landscape in which he was constantly being threatened by rivals, both foreign and domestic. Momus suggests that if we had been in Heliogabalus' position, we might have made some of the same choices that he did. Additionally, Momus points out that much of what we know about Heliogabalus comes from biased sources, such as the early Christian writer St. Augustine, who portrayed him as a symbol of decadence and moral decay.
In the end, Momus argues that it is unfair to condemn Heliogabalus for things that he did not do or for actions that were the result of his youth and inexperience. The song's closing lines suggest that Momus is unapologetic about his defense of Heliogabalus, and he is prepared to defend his interpretation of the emperor's legacy even if it means facing criticism and condemnation from others.
Line by Line Meaning
The deaths he caused were accidents
He did not intentionally cause anyone's death
He committed no murder
He did not kill anyone
Oh yes, some died of fright when they woke up in the night
Some guests died from sheer fright
To find a leopard in the room where they'd been lain after the feast
There was a leopard in their room after the feast
They should have known, those silly fools, the beast was tame
The guests should have known the leopard was not dangerous
Heliogabalus wasn't to blame
Heliogabalus was not responsible for the leopard being in the room
For the deaths I'm illustrating in this quilt
The singer is illustrating Heliogabalus's alleged deadly actions with their quilt
Heliogabalus cannot share any guilt
Heliogabalus is not responsible for the deaths attributed to him
Some lived to suffocate under the suffocating weight
Some people suffocated from the weight of flowers
Of a thousand fresh-cut blooms
There were a lot of flowers
He sent cascading from the ceiling of his room
The flowers fell from the ceiling of his room
Upon a crowd of his admirers
The flowers fell on his admirers
How was he to know some sybarites
Heliogabalus had no way of knowing
Would drown beneath the flowers?
That some would suffocate under the weight of the flowers and die
If a parasite can't swim should we blame him?
If someone is incapable of saving themselves, can we really blame someone else for their death?
He was blond, he had blue eyes, he was completely without guilt
Heliogabalus was good-looking and supposedly innocent
As I intend to demonstrate in my Heliogabalus quilt
The artist plans to show Heliogabalus was innocent in their quilt
They condemn his four year reign, his naked chariot team
People criticize Heliogabalus's reign and chariot team
The deadly snakes released in the forum at the climax of the games
Deadly snakes were released during the games
His nights of gay debauchery, rushing through the slums
Heliogabalus partook in wild parties and rushed through poverty-stricken areas
Disguised as tavern potboys, perfume sellers, barbers
Heliogabalus disguised himself as a tavern employee, a perfume seller, and a barber
Such exaggeration, such slanders!
The artist believes the stories about Heliogabalus are exaggerated and false
If you'd been emperor of Rome at the age of just 15
If someone were emperor of Rome at the young age of 15
Wouldn't you have done the same?
Wouldn't they have acted similarly?
So why then does his name
Why does Heliogabalus's name
Retain the mantle of the evil always claimed by joyless vultures
Associated with evil by miserable critcs
To explain the strange allure of other cultures?
To explain the interest in different cultures?
He was beautiful and sexy and completely without guilt
Heliogabalus was good-looking and innocent
As I intend to demonstrate right here in this quilt
The artist will prove this on their quilt
Condemn me freely if you wish
Critique me as you please
But when my quilt is finished
When the singer's quilt is complete
I intend to sleep as soundly and as well
The artist will sleep without worry
As Heliogabalus in hell
Like Heliogabalus in the afterlife
Contributed by Hunter H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Valerie schallerová
Heliogábalo
As mortes causadas ele foram acidentes
Ele não cometeu o assassinato
Ah, sim, alguns morreram de susto quando acordei no meio da noite
Para encontrar um leopardo na sala onde eles tinham sido deitado após a festa
Eles deveriam saber, aqueles tolos bobos, o animal era manso
Heliogábalo não foi a culpa
Para as mortes que eu estou ilustrando neste quilt
Heliogábalo não pode compartilhar qualquer culpa
Não é possível compartilhar qualquer culpa
Alguns viveram a sufocar sob o peso sufocante
De mil flores recém-colhidas
Ele enviou em cascata a partir do teto de seu quarto
Upon a multidão de seus admiradores
Como ele estava a conhecer alguns sybarites
esconderia debaixo das flores?
Se um parasita não pode nadar devemos culpá-lo?
Ele era loiro, tinha olhos azuis, ele estava completamente sem culpa
Como pretendo demonstrar na minha Heliogábalo quilt
Eles condenam o seu reinado de quatro anos, sua equipe carruagem nu
As cobras mortais lançados no fórum no clímax dos jogos
Suas noites de libertinagem gay, correndo pelas favelas
Disfarçado como potboys taberna, vendedores de perfumes, barbeiros
Esse exagero, tais calúnias!
Se você tivesse sido imperador de Roma com a idade de apenas 15 anos
Será que você não teria feito o mesmo?
Então por que não o seu nome
Manter o manto do mal sempre reivindicado por abutres sem alegria
Para explicar o estranho fascínio outras culturas?
Heliogábalo não foi a culpa
Ele era bonito e sexy e completamente sem culpa
Como eu pretendo demonstrar aqui neste quilt
me condenar livremente, se desejar
Mas quando minha colcha está terminada
eu pretendo dormir profundamente e como bem
Como Heliogábalo no inferno
IndigoChildism
Don't know if you got a new microphone or what it is, but I approve the audio quality in your voice. Keep doing whatever it is you did here, Nick! <3
Stephen Parkin
Good one. This song got me to read "Family Favourites" by Alfred Duggan and I'm grateful for that, as well as the song itself. Your knees must have bloody knacked afterwards though.
IndigoChildism
Don't know if you got a new microphone or what it is, but I approve the audio quality in your voice. Keep doing whatever it is you did here, Nick! <3
John Hurt
without guilt
Monica Witt
"How was he to know some civil rights were drowned beneath the flowers?" This one has been resonating with me for a while now. And, well, it's happening. Thanks for the revisit. It's appropriate. that's for sure.
BAD ELECTRIC
you're remaking all my favorites!
Ismael Carnero Núñez
Enhorabuena. Muy, muy bueno . Sorprendente.
Ismael Carnero Núñez
I LOVE this sog.
Valerie schallerová
Heliogábalo
As mortes causadas ele foram acidentes
Ele não cometeu o assassinato
Ah, sim, alguns morreram de susto quando acordei no meio da noite
Para encontrar um leopardo na sala onde eles tinham sido deitado após a festa
Eles deveriam saber, aqueles tolos bobos, o animal era manso
Heliogábalo não foi a culpa
Para as mortes que eu estou ilustrando neste quilt
Heliogábalo não pode compartilhar qualquer culpa
Não é possível compartilhar qualquer culpa
Alguns viveram a sufocar sob o peso sufocante
De mil flores recém-colhidas
Ele enviou em cascata a partir do teto de seu quarto
Upon a multidão de seus admiradores
Como ele estava a conhecer alguns sybarites
esconderia debaixo das flores?
Se um parasita não pode nadar devemos culpá-lo?
Ele era loiro, tinha olhos azuis, ele estava completamente sem culpa
Como pretendo demonstrar na minha Heliogábalo quilt
Eles condenam o seu reinado de quatro anos, sua equipe carruagem nu
As cobras mortais lançados no fórum no clímax dos jogos
Suas noites de libertinagem gay, correndo pelas favelas
Disfarçado como potboys taberna, vendedores de perfumes, barbeiros
Esse exagero, tais calúnias!
Se você tivesse sido imperador de Roma com a idade de apenas 15 anos
Será que você não teria feito o mesmo?
Então por que não o seu nome
Manter o manto do mal sempre reivindicado por abutres sem alegria
Para explicar o estranho fascínio outras culturas?
Heliogábalo não foi a culpa
Ele era bonito e sexy e completamente sem culpa
Como eu pretendo demonstrar aqui neste quilt
me condenar livremente, se desejar
Mas quando minha colcha está terminada
eu pretendo dormir profundamente e como bem
Como Heliogábalo no inferno
Dronto Ottrond
é mó bobo falar isso mas poxa, legal ver br curtindo momus!! nice