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.
The Birdcatcher
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On his outrageous throne of blood in Cinderella's House
On the blue suburban line I met a careless god
Past the pines by the glassy meadow
Where the coaches jerk a little
The birdcatcher of Hades took his net of flesh and bone
The headless horse was talking on the kitten's telephone
It was a stormy night for the tartan babes on a rocky mountain track
When a Bonnie Prince Charlie car commercial went shooting back
And the cast members at Disneyland were all electric with anger
I could just about hear my Walkman playing Mantovani through the thunder
The birdcatcher of Hades with his book of gold and straw
Eros lends Massacre assistance with the saw
First blood of little girls, a cupboard where you hide
Pause at Charlie Chaplin's fountain
Climb across a cardboard mountain
Dr Selbert Lanolin and his troope of chimpanzees
Who plan to take the world over with a television series
Have found the gene responsible for Scientology
It was a stormy night for the tartan babes on a rocky mountain track
When a Bonnie Prince Charlie car commercial went shooting back
And the cast members at Disneyland were all electric with anger
I could just about hear my Walkman playing Mantovani through the thunder
The lyrics of Momus's song The Birdcatcher are most definitely surreal, and the listener is taken to a place where anything can happen. The song begins by describing the surreal image of Mr Mickey Mouse committing ritual suicide on his throne of blood in Cinderella's house. From here, the listener is taken on a journey through various surreal and bizarre images, such as the birdcatcher of Hades with his net of flesh and bone, the headless horse talking on the kitten's telephone, and the stormy night for the tartan babes on a rocky mountain track.
One of the most interesting things about this song is the way that it plays with imagery and metaphor. The surreal and bizarre images that are presented give the listener a sense of the absurdity of existence, and the way that reality can be twisted and manipulated. The reference to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the car commercial is also fascinating, as it suggests a kind of pop-cultural collision between past and present, and between different forms of media. The song seems to be questioning the nature of reality itself, and asking whether there is any meaning or coherence to be found in our experiences.
Some interesting facts about The Birdcatcher include the fact that the song was released on Momus's 1991 album The Poison Boyfriend. The album was produced by noted musician and producer Joe Dilworth, who has worked with a number of other notable artists over the years. The song was also released as a single, with the B-side being a track called "Judas Kiss" (which itself features some interesting imagery and metaphors). Other interesting facts include the fact that Momus is known for his provocative and sometimes controversial lyrics, and that he has been active in the music industry since the 1980s.
Unfortunately, we could not locate the chords for this specific song.
Line by Line Meaning
After the ritual suicide of Mr Mickey Mouse
Following the intentional death of Mr. Mickey Mouse
On his outrageous throne of blood in Cinderella's House
On his extreme seat made of blood located in Cinderella's House
On the blue suburban line I met a careless god
On the suburban rail line, I encountered a negligent divine being
Past the pines by the glassy meadow
Beyond the pine trees near the shining meadow
Where the coaches jerk a little
Where the coaches sway a bit
The birdcatcher of Hades took his net of flesh and bone
The person who captures birds in the underworld carried his trap made of meat and bones
The headless horse was talking on the kitten's telephone
The horse without a head was conversing on a small telephone belonging to a young cat
In the house of horrors I had recently burnt down
I had recently set on fire the haunted residence
It was a stormy night for the tartan babes on a rocky mountain track
The plaid-wearing infants experienced a rough, lightning-filled night on a mountain path
When a Bonnie Prince Charlie car commercial went shooting back
When a promotional video for a car featuring Bonnie Prince Charlie aired
And the cast members at Disneyland were all electric with anger
The actors at Disneyland were full of furious energy
I could just about hear my Walkman playing Mantovani through the thunder
I barely could hear my Walkman playing Mantovani music amid the loud thunder
The birdcatcher of Hades with his book of gold and straw
The avian snatcher from the underworld carrying a book made of gold and straw
Eros lends Massacre assistance with the saw
Eros helps Massacre to cut with the saw
First blood of little girls, a cupboard where you hide
Initial bloodshed of young girls, a hiding place in a closet
Pause at Charlie Chaplin's fountain
Stop and rest by Charlie Chaplin's fountain
Climb across a cardboard mountain
Scale a mountain made of cardboard
Dr Selbert Lanolin and his troope of chimpanzees
Dr. Selbert Lanolin and his group of chimpanzees
Who plan to take the world over with a television series
Who intend to dominate the world with a TV show
Have found the gene responsible for Scientology
Have discovered the gene accountable for Scientology
It was a stormy night for the tartan babes on a rocky mountain track
The plaid-wearing infants experienced a rough, lightning-filled night on a mountain path
When a Bonnie Prince Charlie car commercial went shooting back
When a promotional video for a car featuring Bonnie Prince Charlie aired
And the cast members at Disneyland were all electric with anger
The actors at Disneyland were full of furious energy
I could just about hear my Walkman playing Mantovani through the thunder
I barely could hear my Walkman playing Mantovani music amid the loud thunder
Contributed by Claire E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.