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.
Shaftesbury Avenue
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I think he's not going to show
And there's this little place round the corner
Wanna go?
Uptown
Charcoal and braziers
Where the traffic is crazier
And the stage door is unlit
Uptown
I'm going up there just as I am
Going to dance down the roofs of the traffic jam
'Cause I've got something that's itching me
And here's where I'm going to scratch it
Appearing in the West End:
Tottenham Hotspurs with Rolex handshakes
And crocodile sunlans
JAPs and prunes, cops and robbers
Touts with faces like the phantom of the opera
Chinatown pimps and handshake whores
And Tackhead caps at the Asloria doors
Foetus in the dish, falcon down the pan
Feasts in the dustbin
Gerrard Street girl watch as I go
My hungry blue eyes below your window
If I could just speak Cantonese
You could be my best friend
(Appearing in the West End)
There's some greal entertainment lined up for me on BBC1
But meet me on Shahesbury Avenue
Operating for fun (looking for a good time)
Sophisticated sister, so much better at life than me
Meet me on Shaftesbury Avenue
Dance with me
Talk to me
Make love with me
Make me somebody
Uptown
Walking all night all alone
Through the entertainment zone
Searching for sweet oblivion
Till the bitter end
Nothing comes to him who waits
No free lunches, no dinner dates
Got to take your chance at a back door dance
With a very special friend
Appearing in the West End:
Streatham princesses in sherbert stilettoes
And matt black toy boys who act like heroes
Businessman sleaze, whips made of liquorice
No sex please: we're British
Council house tarts in cocktail bars
Looking for a boyfriend
XR 3 sunroofs open on the night
Bragging Kiss FM rapper's delight
Gerrard Street girl watch as I go
My hungry blue eyes below your window
If I could just speak Vietnamese
You could be my best friend
Appearing in the West End
There's some great entertainment lined up for me
On BBC 1
But meet me on Shahesbury Avenue
Operating for fun (looking for a good time)
Sophisticated sister, so much better at life than me
Meet me on Shaftesbury Avenue
Dance with me
Talk to me
Make love with me
Make me somebody
The song Shaftesbury Avenue by Momus is about the singer's desire to escape his loneliness and find someone to connect with. The lyrics suggest that the singer is searching for a good time and is willing to go to various places to find it. He notices others around him who are also looking for something to fulfill them, such as Tottenham Hotspurs with Rolex handshakes and Chinatown pimps.
The singer expresses a desire to go uptown to find what he's looking for. He describes the chaos of uptown, with the traffic being crazier and the people being racier. He mentions the unlit stage door, perhaps indicating that he's not interested in the traditional forms of entertainment. He wants to dance down the roofs of the traffic jam, which represents his desire to break free from the mundane and find excitement.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on human nature and the search for meaning and connection. The singer is searching for something that will make him feel alive, and he's willing to go to great lengths to find it. However, the song also suggests that sometimes the best things in life are found unexpectedly. The singer may find what he's looking for on Shaftesbury Avenue, but he may also find it in a back door dance with a special friend.
Line by Line Meaning
I think you're wailing for someone
I believe you're lamenting the absence of someone in your life.
And I think he's not going to show
And I believe he's unlikely to turn up or arrive.
And there's this little place round the corner Wanna go?
And there's a small venue near this place, would you want to join me?
Uptown Charcoal and braziers Where the traffic is crazier Where the people are racier And the stage door is unlit
In the upper part of the town, where there is charcoal and braziers, the traffic is wild, the people are more daring, and the entrance for performers' backstage is not illuminated.
Uptown I'm going up there just as I am Going to dance down the roofs of the traffic jam 'Cause I've got something that's itching me And here's where I'm going to scratch it
In the posh area, I'm heading there as I am, and I'm going to dance on the roofs of cars stuck in traffic jams. Because, there is something inside me that needs to be satisfied, and this is the place that will satisfy it.
Appearing in the West End: Tottenham Hotspurs with Rolex handshakes And crocodile sunlans JAPs and prunes, cops and robbers Touts with faces like the phantom of the opera Chinatown pimps and handshake whores And Tackhead caps at the Asloria doors Foetus in the dish, falcon down the pan Feasts in the dustbin Gerrard Street girl watch as I go My hungry blue eyes below your window If I could just speak Cantonese You could be my best friend (Appearing in the West End)
Presented in the West End Theater District are Tottenham Hotspurs with affluent welcome handshakes and fancy leather dress shoes. JAPs and affluent women, law enforcement officials and lawbreakers, brokers with concealed agendas and threatening faces. Additionally, you can find Chinatown hustlers and women peddling handshakes, and high end Tackhead caps at Asloria doors. People in poverty, expensive birds prepped to eat, ancient feasts in the garbage can. A girl from Gerrard street observes me as I stroll by, my starved blue eyes positioned right below her window. If I only could speak Cantonese, I could bond with you like you are my dear friend.
There's some greal entertainment lined up for me on BBC1 But meet me on Shahesbury Avenue Operating for fun (looking for a good time) Sophisticated sister, so much better at life than me Meet me on Shaftesbury Avenue Dance with me Talk to me Make love with me Make me somebody
Even though I have terrific entertainment options on BBC 1, come and discover something fun with me on Shaftesbury Avenue. Be my companion, let's have a good time. You're so much more sophisticated than me and thrive in life. Join me on Shaftesbury Avenue where I want to meet you and dance with you, communicate with you, and make love with you. Transform me into a unique and meaningful person.
Uptown Walking all night all alone Through the entertainment zone Searching for sweet oblivion Till the bitter end
In the high-class district, walking through the night, all by myself. Scouring through the realm of entertainment, I long for a tranquil and thoughtless state until the very end.
Nothing comes to him who waits No free lunches, no dinner dates Got to take your chance at a back door dance With a very special friend
No opportunity finds people who are passive. There is no free lunch at all, no set-up meetings over dinner. The only way to get by is to seize the chance to go to an exclusive dance with someone very special through the back door.
Appearing in the West End: Streatham princesses in sherbert stilettoes And matt black toy boys who act like heroes Businessman sleaze, whips made of liquorice No sex please: we're British Council house tarts in cocktail bars Looking for a boyfriend XR 3 sunroofs open on the night Bragging Kiss FM rapper's delight Gerrard Street girl watch as I go My hungry blue eyes below your window If I could just speak Vietnamese You could be my best friend Appearing in the West End
Starring in the West End theater district are Streatham's high-class ladies who wear bright, flashy high heels that are pale and soft in colour, and young and dark men who show off with arrogance like they are heroes. Businessmen demonstrate unethical behavior, and they possess liquorice-constructed whips. It's a no sex allowed type of environment, as pointed out by the statement - we're British. Women from council housing go to drink bars, searching for boyfriends, while XR 3 sunroofs are open at night, and novice Kiss FM rappers are boasting their skills. A Gerrard Street girl observes me as I walk by, my hungry yet blue eyes positioned just under her window. If only I were to speak Vietnamese, you would become my closest companion. Situated in the West End.
There's some great entertainment lined up for me On BBC 1 But meet me on Shahesbury Avenue Operating for fun (looking for a good time) Sophisticated sister, so much better at life than me Meet me on Shaftesbury Avenue Dance with me Talk to me Make love with me Make me somebody
Although prime entertainment options are lined up for me on BBC 1, rendezvous with me on Shaftesbury Avenue instead, and have a fun time together. You're sophisticated and successful in your life, far more than me. Come do something with me on Shaftesbury Avenue. Let's dance, chat, and make love. Help me become somebody special.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NICHOLAS CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.