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.
Slide Projector Lie Detector
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Between naked girls and gadgets
Trying to make the best of things
A clean breast of things
I clear my desk of papers but avoid
The little nest of naked Polaroids
I'm married now but can't deny
Collected slides of girls
And hid them in this carousel
To shine for selfish pleasure on my wall
My slide projector lie detector
Shines the things I don't remember
Seven metres tall
On my living room wall
My yesterdays you thought were dead
Are back to life forever
My word processor's got a text corrector
That's got a thing built in
That stops me when I try to enter lies
That prints the truth and cuts me down to size
My yesterdays you thought were gone
Spring back to life when you stumble on
A photograph I made
A duplicate tape on video 8
Of long-lost days I long ago erased
My slide projector lie detector
Shines the things I don't remember
Seven metres tall
Across our living room wall
My video cassette recorder plays cassettes in rigid order
Scans for naked skin
Locate the index, hit slow motion, switch to playback
No fast-forwarding
My slide projector lie detector shines the things I don't remember
Seven metres tall
Across our living room wall
The song "Slide Projector Lie Detector" by Momus delves deep into the theme of regrets and memories. The singer, presumably the artist himself, confesses to have spent his life caught between his affection for women and his fascination with modern technology. He tries to reconcile with his past, but his attempt to clear his desk and throw away papers turns futile as he cannot bear to part with his collection of naked Polaroids. He further reveals that he was a single man when he obtained the slides, which he would hide in his carousel for personal pleasure.
As the singer has moved on to marry, he tries to bury his past and erase his yesterdays. However, he realizes that his memories are forever embedded in his lie detector slide projector. The projector, measuring seven meters tall, shines a light on the truths he'd rather forget. Similarly, his word processor has a text corrector that prevents him from entering lies, making him confront the reality of his past. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that even though he tries to erase his memories, they can never truly vanish. He confesses that his video cassette recorder plays cassettes in a strict order, and he scans for naked skin, indicating that he can't resist the pull or temptation of his past.
Overall, the song 'Slide Projector Lie Detector' explores the complex themes of memory, regret, and one's inability to completely forget the past. It highlights the paradox of wanting to move on and restart life but continuously being haunted by past mistakes and choices.
Line by Line Meaning
I've spent my life with some regrets
I have lived with some regrets throughout my life.
Between naked girls and gadgets
I have spent my life between my obsession with naked girls and my obsession with gadgets.
Trying to make the best of things
I have been trying to make the best out of my life despite my regrets and obsessions.
A clean breast of things
I am trying to confess and confront my past actions, even though it may be difficult.
I clear my desk of papers but avoid
I am able to clear my desk, but I avoid confronting the uncomfortable memories that are kept hidden in my desk.
The little nest of naked Polaroids
I keep a stash of naked Polaroids that I am afraid to confront or acknowledge.
I'm married now but can't deny
Even though I am married now, I cannot deny my past behaviors and actions.
I was a single man when I
I collected the slides and photos of girls when I was single.
Collected slides of girls
I collected slides of girls for my own selfish pleasure.
And hid them in this carousel
I hid the slides in a carousel so that I could easily view them when I wanted.
To shine for selfish pleasure on my wall
I wanted to display the slides for my own pleasure, without regard for others' feelings.
My slide projector lie detector
The slide projector serves as a lie detector for me, forcing me to confront the truth of my past actions.
Shines the things I don't remember
The slide projector reveals details that I had either forgotten or chosen to ignore.
Seven metres tall
The slide projector is an imposing presence, making my past actions difficult to ignore.
On my living room wall
The projector and its revelations are prominently and uncomfortably displayed in my living room.
My yesterdays you thought were dead
Memories that others thought were buried or forgotten are brought back to life.
Are back to life forever
These memories will never be truly forgotten or erased, even if I try to do so.
My word processor's got a text corrector
I have a tool, a text corrector in my word processor, that is meant to maintain accuracy and ensure truthfulness.
That's got a thing built in
The tool includes a feature that will help to stop me from lying.
That stops me when I try to enter lies
The text corrector feature forces me to be truthful, and won't allow me to enter false information.
That prints the truth and cuts me down to size
The feature will publish the truth and serve as a reminder of what I have done, and offer some punishment for my past actions.
My yesterdays you thought were gone
I was successful in hiding these memories from others, but they are still present in my mind and in my home.
Spring back to life when you stumble on
These memories can come back to the surface unexpectedly and in ways that are painful for me and those around me.
A photograph I made
I have personal, tangible evidence of my past actions, making it harder to deny or forget them.
A duplicate tape on video 8
I have multiple copies of the evidence to serve as a reminder and force me to face the truth.
Of long-lost days I long ago erased
I had tried to erase the evidence and the memories, but they still exist and can come back to haunt me.
My video cassette recorder plays cassettes in rigid order
I use this device to watch my old videos in a specific order, as if to relive the past.
Scans for naked skin
I am specifically looking for instances of nudity and sexual imagery.
Locate the index, hit slow motion, switch to playback
I have a specific routine for watching these videos, highlighting my obsession and addiction to this behavior.
No fast-forwarding
I am not interested in rushing through these memories, but rather in savoring them and reliving them in detail.
My slide projector lie detector shines the things I don't remember
The slide projector serves as a tool to help me confront my past and remember details that I had forgotten or intentionally suppressed.
Seven metres tall
The slide projector is a large and imposing part of my home, reminding me of my past behaviors.
Across our living room wall
The projector and its uncomfortable revelations are shared with my spouse, complicating our relationship and adding to my guilt.
Contributed by Isabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.