The Madness of Lee Scratch Perry
Momus Lyrics

Well they're spying on me from the tape recorders
Paranoid and feeling a sense of being watched and monitored and that things around are are not as they seem or as they should be.

All the people say I'm out of order
Everyone, including his own people, thinks or perhaps even has suggested that he is mentally unstable or out of control.

I've been sent to Earth from outer space
A feeling of unbelonging or alienation from the world and the people around him trying to justify his detachment from reality.

As a warning to the human race
Believing that his detachment and experiences can serve as a message or even warning to the rest of humanity about the true nature of the world around them.

Well the dogs are howling at the moon
A scene picked up from reality that is often understood as a metaphor for something strange or ominous about to happen.

And an orchestra is out of tune
A metaphor for the chaos that he sees around him and disorganization that's leading to his state of mind.

I've got a blue guitar
A coping mechanism or source of comfort for him in an otherwise uncertain and unsafe world.

And I'm driving in my car to Abyssinia
Escaping the harsh realities of his day-to-day life to venture to a distant and more desirable place where things are different and perhaps better people to be around.

Cos life over there is better by far
Expressing dissatisfaction with his immediate environment and hoping to find a better place elsewhere.

From Philadelphia to Jamaica
A sense of distance, dislocation, and loneliness from his original surroundings.

I'm sick to the death of the way things are
Feeling extremely disillusioned about life and the events that are unfolding around him.

I'm over the abyss, can't take much more of this
Feeling like every moment is a struggle and that a complete loss of control and sanity is not far away.

Don't want to kill myself you see there's too much risk
Resigned to the reality of his depression without the desire to take his life.

The pills don't work, the gun might miss
Feeling a sense of hopelessness and abandonment, and that even possible solutions, such as medications or suicide, would not actually help to get better but may create further problems.

They say schizophrenia's a fine madness
Acknowledging the bleak reality of his situation and that the only thing he can do is recognize his condition or state of mind.

And I'm sad to say I'm on my way
Feeling forthcoming to an escape and aware of the sadness that comes with acknowledging weak mental health.

I won't be back for many a day
Leaving all of his problems behind and starting a new life elsewhere.

Well the bank is stealing all my cash
Feeling vulnerable to that very society that is stealing from him and questioning the justification and morality of it.

I know that flight 13 is going to crash
A sense of impending danger looming in the back of his mind that the situation or environment he find himself in may cause harm to himself or others.

I know that people don't like me
Feeling alienated and detached from others and sensing a general dislike towards himself and his personality.

I know that's because I call thin thin, I call fat fat
Perhaps an attempt to rationalize why he is rejected or disliked by being unfiltered or straightforward with others. As a result the society calls him odd and mentally unstable.

Well I know the messiah's coming down
Feeling anticipatory of something good. Or perhaps an escape from this harsh world and a light would guide and bring him solace.

I had to leave my little girl in Kingston town
Expressing deep regret for having to leave behind the things he cares about to head to a better place in order to escape and for him to stay sane.

So tell me how far to Abyssinia
Seeking assistance with direction and guidance to reach the place where he thinks he could find respite.

The second on the left after Jamaica
Getting very specific and granular regarding the details of where he's going to doesn't signify the importance of his destination but serves as a way to show the desperation for a less complicated world.

I'm driving in my car, running way far
Driving away from all those things and events that are slowly deleting his sanity.

From things as they are... schizophrenia!
Acknowledging his mental state of mind.

There are forces out to destroy me
Feeling like there is something (an individual or a faction) against him trying to make his life hard or to destroy him.

And I know you think I'm paranoid
Acknowledging that the society around him thinks that he's experiencing heightened irrational fear or worry, adding to the sense of disconnection from the rest of the world.

Because I say there's a big conspiracy
The focus on this supposed great conspiracy is something that brings them comfort and control.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy
This belief, in fact, fuels his sense of paranoia and detachment from the rest of society around him because he starts to take action on this belief and it only feeds the paranoia further.

Wishing 'pon a star
Possible self-soothing mechanism, a prayer for a change of fate or an improvement in their mental, financial or social condition.

Sitting in a bar with a broken heart
Trying to rationalize events that he can not control and possible loneliness, depression or anxiety.

What do you call it when your life falls apart?
Rhetorical question that resonates with anyone questioning the state of their mental or emotional health.

Carry me away to Abyssinia
Again returning to the idea of running away from an oppressive environment.

We'll play a little song of the way things are
The act of writing and singing is an escape from the reality of the world around him or maybe a way to communicate through music his state of being.

For things are changed upon a blue guitar
A new life that he hopes to find, somewhere beyond the horizon perhaps symbolized by the blue guitar.

Things are changed upon a synthesizer
A reference to the nature of music as art and how it can alter one's mood and outlook. It could also signify the change in surroundings that he expects to find with his new life.

All the ladies in the house go 'Lah dee dah'
Pushing for an attitude of pure enjoyment to make coping with things a bit simpler.

Listen to the man with the blue guitar
Aspiring to be someone who will influence and impact others through their music and artistic passions.

Shake up your bosom take it out of your bra
Trying to break down a sense of rigidity and detachment from his environment, and encouraging people to open themselves to experiencing pleasure from the simplest things.

Fruits in the pockets of a cornucopia
Symbolizing the riches that are untold and that life can provide, and that if he tries hard enough and finds the right outlet he will discover the joys that come from within one's self.

I've got a broken heart and my head's in a mess
Being honest about the emotional state of mind, which could be caused by feelings of alienation, heartbreak or trauma.

And the train is at the station and the steam begin to hiss
A reference to the pressures of time and change, and a feeling that something is imminent – good or bad.

Take me anywhere away from all this!
The desperation and desire to see things that he does not currently see as possible bring out a yearning to flee this world and never return.

Toss the caber, do the highland fling
An attempt to imagine a joyful and carefree life rather than focusing on the current situation that is anxiety-ridden.

Your daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring
A feeling of oppression, lack of autonomy and immaturity trying to break out of that and carve my own path in life.

He's got a battering ram, a battering ram
The harsh reality of things, facing pressure from the people and the systems around him, urging him to conform and reach their narrow expectations.

And he's got a little problem with who I am
A feeling that he will not be accepted or understood by others because of his unconventional beliefs or desires.

From Jamaica to Philadelphia
Physical distance and detachment from his roots or personal history.

Lee Scratch Perry to Frank Sinatra
A reference to a vast cultural difference and influences that have shaped his outlook on life.

Somewhere over the rainbow: madness!
The final line of the song epitomizing the chaos that can come with chasing one's dreams, beliefs, and hopes in a world that tends to cripple one's identity. Leben and I have done schizophrenia on this song.