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.
Helogabalus
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 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 lyrics of Momus's song "Heliogabalus" seem to be a defense of the eponymous figure, the infamous Roman emperor who ruled from AD 218-222. Momus argues that while some of the deaths caused during Heliogabalus's reign were quite unusual (such as those caused by a leopard or a deluge of flowers), they were not intentional acts of murder. Rather, they were accidents that Heliogabalus could not be held responsible for. Momus also questions why Heliogabalus's reign is so often demonized, arguing that his behavior was no worse than what would be expected from any young person thrust into such a position of power.
Momus paints Heliogabalus as a figure who was "beautiful and sexy and completely without guilt," and who has been unfairly maligned throughout history. He also seems to suggest that his own work, a quilt illustrating Heliogabalus's life, will help to rehabilitate the emperor's reputation. The song ends with Momus declaring his intention to "sleep as soundly and as well as Heliogabalus in hell," suggesting that he is untroubled by the negative reactions his work may generate.
Overall, the song seems to be a clever exercise in historical revisionism, aimed at questioning why certain figures are demonized in popular memory while others are celebrated.
Line by Line Meaning
The deaths he caused were accidents
Heliogabalus did not intentionally cause any deaths.
He committed no murder
Heliogabalus did not directly kill anyone.
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
Some of Heliogabalus's guests died of heart attack due to shock when they woke up to find a leopard in their bedroom.
They should have known, those silly fools, the beast was tame
Heliogabalus wasn't to blame
It was the fault of the guests for not knowing that the leopard was not a danger, and Heliogabalus cannot be held responsible for their fear-induced deaths.
For the deaths I'm illustrating in this quilt
Heliogabalus cannot share any guilt
Cannot share any guilt
The quilt illustrating Heliogabalus's life demonstrates that he was not responsible for any deaths.
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?
Some of Heliogabalus's admirers suffocated under the weight of flowers he dropped from the ceiling, which he couldn't have predicted. He cannot be held responsible for their deaths, just as a parasite cannot be blamed for drowning if it cannot swim.
He was blond, he had blue eyes, he was completely without guilt
As I intend to demonstrate in my Heliogabalus quilt
Heliogabalus was physically attractive and not guilty of the crimes he is accused of, as portrayed in the 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!
People unfairly criticize Heliogabalus for his reign, chariot team, release of snakes, and nights of debauchery. He was also kind to the poor and disguised himself to observe their way of life.
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 other cultures?
Heliogabalus wasn't to blame
Heliogabalus should not be judged for his actions as a young emperor, especially since others would have likely behaved similarly. He is unfairly labeled as evil by those who do not understand him, but he is not to blame for their misunderstanding.
He was beautiful and sexy and completely without guilt
As I intend to demonstrate right here in this quilt
The quilt portrays Heliogabalus as an attractive and guiltless individual.
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 singer of the song does not care if others condemn him for his portrayal of Heliogabalus in the quilt, and he will feel at peace with his work, much like how Heliogabalus is at peace in hell.
Writer(s): Nicholas Currie
Contributed by Nathan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@papaya123ification
ggood good