Nick Currie (born February 11, 1960 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK)… Read Full Bio ↴Nick Currie (born February 11, 1960 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK), more popularly known under the artist name Momus (after the Greek god of mockery), is a songwriter, writer, blogger and artist. Most of his songs are self-referential or postmodern.

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 Ultraconformist
Momus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I try to be normal, really I do
I try not to chew on my hat
I sit on the table, eat soup from the ladle
I really would like to be fat

If it paid to be straight God knows I'd be straight
God knows I'd be straight as a die
If I could get it on with a sweet little blonde

I swear I would give it a try

I'm an ultraconformist, I walk through the week
With my tongue in my pocket, my hand in my cheek
But I'd let out a cry as loud as the sky
If you could as on orderly guy
If you could as an ordinary guy

Singing boo ralla ralla
Boo ralla ree
Bang dilla mulla too ray
Singing boo tirra lirra
Moo ralla ralla
Filla gorilla today

If it paid to be sane, God knows I'd be sane
God knows I could live out a lie
If I could get a thrill popping little blue pills
I swear I would give it a try

I'm an ultraconformist I sit at my desk
With a gun in my pocket, a pain in my chest
But I'd let out a cry as loud as the sky
If you could as an ordinary guy
If you could as an ordinary guy

I'd be an ultraconformist, an orderly man
If these dustbin lids didn't just beg to be banged
And I'd let out a cry as loud as the sky
If you could as an ordinary guy
If you could as an ordinary guy

I'm an ultraconformist I walk through the week
With my tongue in my wallet, my wad in my cheek
But I'd let out a cry as loud as the sky

If you could as an ordinary guy
If you could as an ordinary guy

Overall Meaning

The song "The Ultraconformist" by Momus is a humorous take on the pressures of societal norms and the desire to fit in. The singer in the song admits that they try to conform as much as they can, attempting to be normal and behave in expected ways like eating soup from a ladle and sitting at a desk with a gun in their pocket. They even express a willingness to try different things to fit in, such as getting it on with a sweet little blonde or taking little blue pills for a thrill. However, despite these efforts, the singer also reveals that they have a rebellious spirit and would let out a cry as loud as the sky if they could just be an ordinary guy.

The song is both playful and biting in its commentary on the pressures of conformity. It acknowledges the alluring aspects of fitting in and trying to be normal, while also poking fun at the absurdity of striving for such a thing. The singer's exaggerations and absurd scenarios highlight the ridiculousness of social norms and expectations. Overall, "The Ultraconformist" is a witty and entertaining critique of conformity and the desire to fit in.

Line by Line Meaning

I try to be normal, really I do
Despite my natural inclination towards unconventional behavior, I make a conscious effort to behave in a conventional way.

I try not to chew on my hat
I try to abstain from unusual, perhaps even self-destructive behavior.

I sit on the table, eat soup from the ladle
I engage in absurd behavior that contrasts with the norms of social etiquette.

I really would like to be fat
I reject the cultural association of thinness with beauty and would like to defy that standard by being fat.

If it paid to be straight God knows I'd be straight
If society rewarded heteronormative behavior, I would conform to those standards.

God knows I'd be straight as a die
I would conform to the normative standard of heterosexuality.

If I could get it on with a sweet little blonde
I would attempt to conform to the societal expectation of having sex with an attractive, blonde woman.

I'm an ultraconformist, I walk through the week
I display a much greater adherence to social norms than I truly feel and I maintain this facade every day of the week.

With my tongue in my pocket, my hand in my cheek
I display a sense of irony in my conformity, as I don't completely believe in the norms that I follow.

But I'd let out a cry as loud as the sky
I would express my true feelings and non-conformist tendencies loudly and passionately, if given the opportunity.

If you could as on orderly guy
If you could ask me to act like a typical, rule-abiding person

If you could as an ordinary guy
If you could ask me to behave in the way that society deems appropriate for a regular, non-radical person.

Singing boo ralla ralla Boo ralla ree Bang dilla mulla too ray Singing boo tirra lirra Moo ralla ralla Filla gorilla today
Nonsensical syllables that may serve to emphasize the absurdity of the lyrics, or just as a fun sing-along part of the song.

If it paid to be sane, God knows I'd be sane
If sanity was rewarded by society, I would embrace it fully.

God knows I could live out a lie
I could maintain a persona of sanity even if it contradicted my true thoughts and feelings.

If I could get a thrill popping little blue pills
I would be willing to try drugs or other substances that would initially conform to certain norms of excitement, as a way to embrace a non-conformist lifestyle.

I am an ultraconformist I sit at my desk
I exhibit a high degree of conformist behavior, especially in settings where expectations of professionalism and respectability are important.

With a gun in my pocket, a pain in my chest
I might use dangerous or violent means to maintain my image of conformity, perhaps to avoid suspicion or to establish dominance.

I'd be an ultraconformist, an orderly man
I would strongly identify with the label of ultraconformist and would aim to behave in a predictable, consistent, and lawful way.

If these dustbin lids didn't just beg to be banged
If objects of perceived deviance or rebellion did not exist or were not tempting, I would be more likely to work within the bounds of social norms.

I'm an ultraconformist I walk through the week
Reiteration of previously mentioned conformist tendencies.

With my tongue in my wallet, my wad in my cheek
Similar to the previous line.

If you could as an ordinary guy
Same as before.

If you could ask me to behave in the way that society deems appropriate for a regular, non-radical person.

Contributed by Asher K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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