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.
Streetlamp Soliloquy
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like when you see your friend lying on the street and say
"I thought you were somebody else"
And he replies "I am"
Six dayglo vodka jellies on you realise
The party's really two doors down
And you turn to the hound
And barks "This isn't Kansas any more"
It's when you stagger from your cab
And force your keys in someone else's door
It's 4am, someone who looks like you is hollering
"Let me in!" (let me in)
Six dayglo jellies on
Six dayglo vodka jellies on the brain
In your streetlamp soliloquy
You audition for the role of yourself
And pray you'll get the part
Don't call us
Everything you'll ever need to know about strangers
Everything you'll never need to know about
Everything you'll ever need to know about
Seeing your face on someone else's face
Seven dayglo jellies on and you deduce
You'd better ease up on the juice
Seven dayglo garden gnomes
Are jumping on your bones
And you were barely introduced
In your streetlamp soliloquy
You audition for the role of yourself
And pray you'll get the part
Don't call us
Everything you'll ever need to know about strangers
You'll never need to know about
Everything you'll ever need to know about
Hearing your voice in someone else's voice
Don't call us
Don't call us
Don't call us
The song "Streetlamp Soliloquy" by Momus captures the feeling of being lost in a strange new place and the uncertainty of not knowing who or what is around you. The lyrics reveal a series of surreal and disjointed scenes that depict the disorientation of being in an unfamiliar environment. The opening lines suggest that the song is about discovering the unknown and encountering strangers. This is followed by a reference to a party that turns out to be somewhere else entirely. The line "Toto turns around and barks, 'This isn't Kansas anymore'" adds a reference to The Wizard of Oz and the idea of being lost in a strange land.
The song then shifts to a scene where the singer is stumbling home drunk and mistakes his own house for someone else's. As he tries to get in, he hears someone who looks like him yelling to be let in. The refrain "six dayglo vodka jellies on" and "seven dayglo jellies on" seems to refer to a hazy state of mind, where the singer's perceptions are distorted by alcohol or drugs. The reference to auditioning for the role of himself in the streetlamp soliloquy suggests the idea of trying to find oneself in an unfamiliar city or environment. The final refrain, "Don't call us," suggests that the singer is trying to resist the pull of the unknown and the need to explore beyond his comfort zone.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything you always wanted to know about strangers
This song explores the curious and unknown aspects of strangers and how we interact with them.
Like when you see your friend lying on the street and say
"I thought you were somebody else"
And he replies "I am"
There are times when we think we know someone, but we are completely mistaken. This can lead to some humorous or confusing situations.
Six dayglo vodka jellies on you realise
The party's really two doors down
And you turn to the hound
And Toto turns around
And barks "This isn't Kansas any more"
Under the influence of alcohol, our perception of reality can become distorted, leading us to make foolish decisions and experience strange situations.
It's when you stagger from your cab
And force your keys in someone else's door
It's 4am, someone who looks like you is hollering
"Let me in!" (let me in)
Six dayglo jellies on
Six dayglo vodka jellies on the brain
Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol can make us behave in bizarre and reckless ways that are not characteristic of our sober selves.
In your streetlamp soliloquy
You audition for the role of yourself
And pray you'll get the part
Don't call us
Sometimes we reflect on our own lives and question the roles we play. We hope that we are portraying the version of ourselves that we want others to see, but we are not always sure.
Everything you'll ever need to know about strangers
Everything you'll never need to know about
Everything you'll ever need to know about
Seeing your face on someone else's face
The experience of encountering strangers can be both fascinating and unsettling. It can also be strange to see our own face reflected in the faces of others.
Seven dayglo jellies on and you deduce
You'd better ease up on the juice
Seven dayglo garden gnomes
Are jumping on your bones
And you were barely introduced
When we consume too much alcohol or drugs, our perception of the world around us can become distorted and surreal, leading to bizarre and unexpected experiences.
Don't call us
Don't call us
Don't call us
The repetition of this line suggests a desire to disconnect and withdraw from social interactions, perhaps due to the strange and unsettling nature of the experiences described in the song.
Contributed by Wyatt D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.