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 Cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where Cocteau's beast rehearses Beauty's rape
Lewis Carroll marks his diary with a small white stone
As Kuniyoshi Kaneko prepares to paint
Listen to the shells my darling, what you hear is not the sea
But whispering, malicious human hearts
Adults who don't wish to know the Duc de Berry's great chateau
We who paint or photograph to stop your dying in its path
And fix you in the permanence of spring
Can't stop the prattlers prattling
The rattlesnakes who, rattling, see ugliness in every living thing
See ugliness in every living thing
The calculated insolence of little girls in sailor suits
Whose faces seem to say more than they know
Appetites and ornaments for the libertine in all of us
From the cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko
Follow to the studio where Alice Liddell plays the roles
Of tousle-headed naked gypsy girls
The Reverend Charles L. Dodgson from the darkness of his camera
Preserves her for himself and for the world
Children torn by cruel desires, the handiwork of murderers
Who hack their little bodies to the bone
Somehow live to tell the tale, astonishingly fit and well
They couple in the fabulous chateau
We who paint or photograph to stop your dying in its path
And fix you in the permanence of spring
Can't stop the prattlers prattling
The rattlesnakes who, rattling, see ugliness in every living thing
In every lovely living thing
A looking glass is not a world
A painted girl is not a girl
In games there can be no forbidden things
In life remain considerate, in art the Devil's advocate
Why deny that Pegasus has wings
In life remain considerate, in art the Devil incarnate
Why deny the siren when it sings?
In games there must be no forbidden things
So watch the wall my darling while the gentlemen go by
And mark your diary with a small white stone
Little hearts of marzipan and lacquer work from old Japan
In the cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko
The song "The Cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko" by Momus is a haunting and thought-provoking reflection on the blurred lines between art and reality and the darker aspects of human nature. The lyrics paint vivid images of various artists, writers, and historical figures who are all connected by their fascination with the young and innocent, often in disturbing ways.
The first verse describes the setting of the Duc de Berry's great chateau where leopards prowl and Cocteau's beast rehearses Beauty's rape. This alludes to the darker, more animalistic aspects of human nature and the desire to dominate and control. Meanwhile, Lewis Carroll's diary is marked with a small white stone as Kuniyoshi Kaneko prepares to paint, suggesting the fleeting and transitory nature of art and memory.
The second verse delves into the ugly side of human nature as malicious hearts whisper like shells and people who hate the world of childhood and art prattle on. Momus, himself an artist, acknowledges the limitations of art in stopping death, while at the same time highlighting its power to preserve moments and emotions in the permanence of spring. However, the rattlesnakes who see ugliness in every living thing cannot be silenced.
The chorus brings together the themes of the song, emphasizing the paradoxical nature of art as both a reflection of life and a departure from it. The calculated insolence of little girls in sailor suits, the appetites and ornaments for the libertine in all of us, and the cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko all represent the allure and danger of the fantasies we create in our minds.
Line by Line Meaning
Leopards prowl the studios of the Duc de Berry's great chateau
The studios of rich and powerful people are full of wild and unpredictable creatures
Where Cocteau's beast rehearses Beauty's rape
These creatures are used as inspiration for art that is disturbing and violent
Lewis Carroll marks his diary with a small white stone
Carroll keeps track of his memories and inspirations in a unique way
As Kuniyoshi Kaneko prepares to paint
Kaneko is about to create his own disturbing and fascinating art
Listen to the shells my darling, what you hear is not the sea
The natural world has been corrupted by human cruelty and malice
But whispering, malicious human hearts
People can be cruel and hurtful to each other, even in seemingly innocent contexts
Adults who don't wish to know the Duc de Berry's great chateau
Some adults are closed-minded and dismissive of art and creativity
And hate the world of childhood and of art
These adults resent the innocence and imagination of childhood, and the challenging nature of art
We who paint or photograph to stop your dying in its path
Artists try to create something beautiful and lasting in a world that is full of pain and suffering
And fix you in the permanence of spring
Artists hope to capture a moment of beauty or joy and preserve it for all time
Can't stop the prattlers prattling
Critics and detractors will always try to tear down the work of artists, no matter how beautiful or meaningful it may be
The rattlesnakes who, rattling, see ugliness in every living thing
Some people are so negative and cynical that they cannot appreciate anything beautiful or pure
The calculated insolence of little girls in sailor suits
Children can be both innocent and provocative, and their behavior can inspire both fascination and horror
Whose faces seem to say more than they know
Children have a mysterious and alluring quality that adults cannot fully understand
Appetites and ornaments for the libertine in all of us
Children can represent both innocence and temptation, and provoke desire in adults
From the cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko
Kaneko's art embodies both innocence and corruption, and is both beautiful and unsettling
Follow to the studio where Alice Liddell plays the roles
Alice, like all children, is both an ingenue and a performer, and can inspire both creativity and darkness
Of tousle-headed naked gypsy girls
Alice embodies both innocence and provocation, and can be transformed into anything her creators desire
The Reverend Charles L. Dodgson from the darkness of his camera
Even the most innocent and creative pursuits can be twisted and perverted by those with hidden desires
Preserves her for himself and for the world
Art, like all creative efforts, can be both personal and universal, and can inspire both admiration and disgust
Children torn by cruel desires, the handiwork of murderers
Even the purest and most innocent of beings can be exploited and destroyed by those with dark and twisted desires
Who hack their little bodies to the bone
This destruction can be both physical and emotional, leaving lasting scars and deep wounds
Somehow live to tell the tale, astonishingly fit and well
Even in the face of unimaginable pain and trauma, children have a remarkable resilience and ability to recover
They couple in the fabulous chateau
This resilience can sometimes be misinterpreted as complicity or acquiescence, and can inspire both fascination and horror
A looking glass is not a world
Art, like all creative endeavors, is a reflection of reality, but not the reality itself
A painted girl is not a girl
Art, like all representations of reality, is only an approximation of the truth
In games there can be no forbidden things
Artists must be willing to take risks and explore taboo subjects, in order to create something truly unique and meaningful
In life remain considerate, in art the Devil's advocate
In real life, we must be respectful and kind, but in art we must be willing to challenge social norms and break boundaries
Why deny that Pegasus has wings
Artists must be willing to embrace the fantastical and mythical, in order to explore the full range of human experience
In life remain considerate, in art the Devil incarnate
Artists must be willing to take risks and explore taboo subjects, even if it means shaking the foundations of society
Why deny the siren when it sings?
Artists must be willing to embrace the dark and forbidden aspects of human nature, in order to create something truly unique and meaningful
In games there must be no forbidden things
Artists must be free to explore the full range of human experience, without fear of censorship or criticism
So watch the wall my darling while the gentlemen go by
In a world that is full of artifice and insincerity, it is important to remain vigilant and true to oneself
And mark your diary with a small white stone
Like Lewis Carroll, we must keep track of our memories and inspirations, in order to preserve our creativity and imagination
Little hearts of marzipan and lacquer work from old Japan
Art, like all creative efforts, has a long and rich history, full of beauty and wonder
In the cabinet of Kuniyoshi Kaneko
Kaneko's art embodies the full range of human experience, from beauty and purity to darkness and corruption
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICHOLAS JOHN CURRIE, NICK CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.