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.
It's Important To Be Trendy
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the fashion's to be wild
It's important to be trendy
Shake your body like a child
Have you been to see The Sandals
Have you been to see The Goats?
They do trippy gigs with candles
When the fashion's to be crazy
When the fashion's to be free
It's important to be trendy
Catch the disease
First I'm going to pierce my penis
Then I'm going to pierce my eye
Get a tattoo on my anus
I'm a trendy guy
It's important to be funky
It's important to be free
Shake your body like a junky
Me be you and you be me
I've got a woolly hat with pom poms
I've got rucksacks too
In the shape of baby pandas
That guzzle real bamboo
Stock your fridge with vodka shots
Keep some candy round your neck
Play The Astronauts
On your 8 track deck
It's important to be trendy
It's important to be cool
Be a trendy not a stinky
Be a funky not a fool
When the fashion's to be friendly
When the fashion's to be wild
It's important to be trendy
Shake your body like a child
And I'm switching back to vinyl
I love my analogue synth
Got a nick in my eyebrow
And a diamond in my tooth
Dance around like a gorilla
In a wild and funky
Be a mella yella fella
Walking swanky like a gay
I saw a culture in a hairstyle
Saw an empire in a rave
I'm a connoisseur of trainers
I'm a rubber slave
When the fashion's to be friendly
When the fashion's to be wild
It's important to be trendy
Shake your body like a child
Shake it now!
In "It's Important To Be Trendy," Momus presents the idea that to be popular, one must conform to the current trends and fashions. The song speaks to how trends and fashions can be contagious, and that one must catch the disease of trendiness to be cool. The first verse references two obscure bands, The Sandals and The Goats, who are known for their iconic style of wearing Afghan coats and performing trippy gigs with candles. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as Momus details the lengths he is willing to go to be fashionable.
The second verse is particularly provocative, as Momus suggests body modifications such as piercing his penis and eye and getting a tattoo on his anus. While this may initially seem shocking, it underscores the idea of how far some people will go to stay on-trend. The chorus emphasizes the importance of being trendy and cool, and the final verse reiterates the importance of conforming and references various other fashion trends such as vinyl and analogue synth, nicked eyebrows, and diamond teeth.
Overall, "It's Important To Be Trendy" is a commentary on the pressure to conform to social norms and the lengths one may go to be fashionable. It highlights the idea that trends and fashions are contagious and that to be popular, one must keep up with them.
Line by Line Meaning
When the fashion's to be friendly
When people are expected to be kind and approachable
When the fashion's to be wild
When people are expected to be unconventional and daring
It's important to be trendy
It's important to follow the latest fads and be fashionable
Shake your body like a child
Dance with carefree abandon
Have you been to see The Sandals
Have you attended a concert by The Sandals
Have you been to see The Goats?
Have you attended a concert by The Goats?
They do trippy gigs with candles
They perform psychedelic concerts with candles
Wearing Afghan coats
Dressed in traditional Afghan clothing
When the fashion's to be crazy
When people are expected to be eccentric and unusual
When the fashion's to be free
When people are expected to be liberated and non-conformist
Catch the disease
Join the trend and become infected by it
First I'm going to pierce my penis
I plan to get a genital piercing
Then I'm going to pierce my eye
I plan to get an eye piercing
Get a tattoo on my anus
I plan to get a tattoo on my rear end
I'm a trendy guy
I am fashionable and follow the latest trends
It's important to be funky
It's important to have a cool and original style
Shake your body like a junky
Dance with the intensity of a drug addict
Me be you and you be me
Let's switch roles
I've got a woolly hat with pom poms
I own a hat with fuzzy balls on it
I've got rucksacks too
I also own backpacks
In the shape of baby pandas
They are designed to resemble cute baby pandas
That guzzle real bamboo
They have a pouch that can hold bamboo, a food associated with pandas
Stock your fridge with vodka shots
Fill your refrigerator with small bottles of vodka
Keep some candy round your neck
Wear candy as a fashion accessory
Play The Astronauts
Listen to a surf rock band called The Astronauts
On your 8 track deck
On your vintage music player
It's important to be cool
It's important to be calm and collected
Be a trendy not a stinky
Be fashionable, not unappealing
Be a funky not a fool
Be original, not foolish
And I'm switching back to vinyl
I am returning to listening to music on vinyl records
I love my analogue synth
I appreciate vintage synthesizers
Got a nick in my eyebrow
I have a small cut in my eyebrow hair
And a diamond in my tooth
I have a diamond-shaped ornament on one of my teeth
Dance around like a gorilla
Dance wildly and uninhibitedly
Be a mella yella fella
Be casual and relaxed
Walking swanky like a gay
Walking confidently and stylishly
I saw a culture in a hairstyle
I recognized a cultural significance in someone's hairstyle
Saw an empire in a rave
I saw a group united and powerful in a dance party
I'm a connoisseur of trainers
I am knowledgeable about athletic shoes
I'm a rubber slave
I am devoted to wearing rubber clothing
Shake it now!
Dance energetically and with enthusiasm
Contributed by Isaiah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.