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.
I Ate a Girl Right Up
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know what to say or what came over me
It wasn't just because I was hungry
I don't think I'm sorry
I ate a girl right up, forgive me
I ate her pretty head and body
I guzzled down her bowels, all squidgy
Don't call me cannibal
Everybody needs from time to time
To remember the fact that they're an animal
To cross the line dividing clean from dirty
I ate her like a plate of hot spaghetti
I ate a girl right up, forgive me
I don't know what to say or what came over me
It wasn't just because I was hungry
I'd do it all again, it was yummy
Don't call me cannibal
Everybody needs from time to time
To nibble someone's earlobes and their eyes as well
To scoop them out and swallow them
Like oysters from the shell
I never knew how messy a girl could be
I guzzled down her body juices greedily
I was happy as a pig in a muck
I ate a girl right up
The lyrics to Momus's song "I Ate a Girl Right Up" are provocative and disturbing at first glance, but can be interpreted as a statement on the primal nature of human beings. The song begins with the singer admitting to consuming a girl, but the line "forgive me" suggests a feeling of guilt or shame. The subsequent lines try to justify the action by saying it wasn't just due to hunger, and that the singer doesn't feel sorry. This can be interpreted as a rejection of societal norms and expectations, and an acknowledgment of the animalistic instincts that reside within humans.
The refrain of "Don't call me cannibal" further emphasizes this rejection of societal classifications, as if to say that such labels are limiting and not reflective of the complexity of human nature. The references to "crossing the line dividing clean from dirty" and "remembering the fact that they're an animal" suggest a desire to break free from societal constructs and be true to one's primal instincts.
The descriptions of consuming various parts of the girl's body are graphic and visceral, but can be seen as a metaphor for embracing the messy, raw, and carnal aspects of life. The final line, "I ate a girl right up," can be seen as a declaration of a willingness to fully embrace all aspects of life, no matter how taboo or unconventional.
Line by Line Meaning
I ate a girl right up, forgive me
I devoured a girl whole and seek your pardon
I don't know what to say or what came over me
I am unsure what compelled me to commit this gruesome act
It wasn't just because I was hungry
My motive was more than just hunger cravings
I don't think I'm sorry
I don't feel remorseful for my actions
I ate her pretty head and body
I consumed her attractive physical features, including her head
I guzzled down her bowels, all squidgy
I ingested her soft, mushy intestines rapidly
I gobbled up her breasts and tummy
I quickly devoured her bosom and abdomen
Don't call me cannibal
Please refrain from labeling me as a cannibal
Everybody needs from time to time
Everyone experiences the urge at some point
To remember the fact that they're an animal
To acknowledge our primitive animal nature
To cross the line dividing clean from dirty
To transgress the boundaries of cleanliness and decency
I ate her like a plate of hot spaghetti
I consumed her in a similar manner to a serving of piping-hot pasta
I'd do it all again, it was yummy
I would repeat my cannibalistic act as I thoroughly enjoyed it
To nibble someone's earlobes and their eyes as well
To indulge in biting and eating of body parts like earlobes and eyes
To scoop them out and swallow them
To extract and digest the scooped-out body parts
Like oysters from the shell
Similar to relishing oysters freshly taken out of the shell
I never knew how messy a girl could be
I was unaware of how untidy a human body could be when consumed
I guzzled down her body juices greedily
I consumed her bodily fluids in a gluttonous manner
I was happy as a pig in a muck
I was immensely satisfied like a pig in a mud puddle
I ate a girl right up
I completely ingested a girl's body
Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.