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.
Nervous Heartbeat
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reluctantly, shibu shibu
Repeatedly, tabi tabi
Just in time, giri giri
Hara hara, nervous heartbeat
Kira kira, glittering sparkle
Chika chika, the flickering light of the stars
Doki doki, the hammering beat of my heart
I'm messed up, mecha mecha
But you laugh, gera gera
In the lightning, goro goro
And your eyes, pika pika
Kisu kisu by the river
Gusha gusha, that flows so slow
Zaa zaa, in the sound of the pouring rain
Chiku chiku, when will I see you again?
The lyrics to Momus's song Nervous Heartbeat seem to be filled with onomatopoeic words, words that sound like the noises they describe, that form a mixture of emotions and sensations. The first verse contains words that describe actions that are done reluctantly or just in time. The nervous heartbeat is represented by onomatopoeic words that indicate a flickering light of the stars, glittering sparkling, and the hammering beat of my heart. The second verse seems to describe the singer as someone who is messed up and is laughed at by someone else. The lightning and eyes are represented by onomatopoeic words to represent their impact. The river flows slowly while they kiss, and the sound of pouring rain creates a sense of intimacy. The last line of the song encapsulates the longing and anticipation of when the singer will meet the person they are addressing again.
Overall, the lyrics of Nervous Heartbeat create a sense of urgency and tension through the use of onomatopoeic words that represent emotions and sensations. The song seems to be about a relationship that is fraught with nervousness and uncertainty, with moments of intimacy and longing interspersed throughout.
Line by Line Meaning
Crying, shiku shiku
I'm feeling really down and upset, with tears streaming down my face
Reluctantly, shibu shibu
I'm hesitant and unsure of myself, not quite ready to take the next step
Repeatedly, tabi tabi
I keep going back to the same situation, doing the same things over and over again
Just in time, giri giri
I barely make it, arriving just in the nick of time
Hara hara, nervous heartbeat
My heart is racing with anxiety and fear
Kira kira, glittering sparkle
Everything around me seems to be bright and shining, almost magical
Chika chika, the flickering light of the stars
The stars are twinkling in the dark night sky, like tiny movements of light
Doki doki, the hammering beat of my heart
My heart is beating so fast and hard that I can feel it pounding in my chest
I'm messed up, mecha mecha
I'm feeling really messed up inside, with everything going wrong
But you laugh, gera gera
Even though I'm struggling, you find it funny or amusing
In the lightning, goro goro
The lightning is flashing across the sky, illuminating everything in a split second
And your eyes, pika pika
Your eyes are bright and shiny, glittering like diamonds in the light
Kisu kisu by the river
We're sharing kisses and romantic moments by the peaceful river
Gusha gusha, that flows so slow
The river is flowing slowly, with soft gentle sounds of water moving
Zaa zaa, in the sound of the pouring rain
The rain is pouring down heavily, hitting everything with a loud sound
Chiku chiku, when will I see you again?
I'm anxiously waiting and hoping to see you again soon
Contributed by Bentley S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lefa
That's so moving to see this video and listen to this amazing melody. Thank you Momus for so many years of musical joy. Please go on being the best genius in the whole world.
Byron Black
MoMuSu-san, you've done it again. Captured the mood, then it bit you. Those glissando strings started shrieking about rabies from the bite but you, carefree, sang onward.
Kudos for another original perfroaance.
Supercereal
Crying, shiku shiku Reluctantly, shibu shibu Repeatedly, tabi tabi Just in time, giri giri Hara hara, nervous heartbeat Kira kira, glittering sparkle Chika chika, the flickering light of the stars Doki doki, the hammering beat of my heart I'm messed up, mecha mecha But you laugh, gera gera In the lightning, goro goro And your eyes, pika pika Kisu kisu by the river Gusha gusha, that flows so slow Zaa zaa, in the sound of the pouring rain Chiku chiku, when will I see you again?
MNZofPimlico
Yes I third nepastropheda; I was all ready for something intellectual and/or ironic and I find myself almost in tears. The Japanese strings played over the tree, I have no idea why that is so moving. And seeing Shazna it's hard not to think of their relationship ending, more sadness.
Byron Black
Listening again to this I realize that you've backed yourself up with a track of what I term "drunken Japanese sarariman in tiny bar feeling sorry for himself" muzak. There is also quite a wonderful colleciton of similar "needle droppings" production music available if you can get your hands on it. 1950s-style, but recorded in the 1980s.
Víctor Prats
Beautiful song...
teaflax
Well, it's almost as if Nick's writing songs again, after about a ten-year hiatus. I guess I'll check out Ocky Milk despite the last few unlistenable albums he's put out.
Wilful Sprite
I wish this song was a lot longer
nightimelady
have a listen to his song "the sadness of things" the meaning of the Lyrics in that are wonderful
xishimarux
nice song (^_^) sounds like it could be some YMO type stuff.