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.
Water Song
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woha chigralla
Woha yellem
Woha koom
Mook gasgazza
Na amboha
Aneed gatata gra na ky
Dehnaderu
Ayasfeligegnim
Koom sigarra
Ayasfeligegnim koom
Leslassa ishi
Katata aneed
Woha yellem
Aydellem
Tenastalign
Denaderu
Chigr alla
Chigr yellem
Orominya
Woha chigralla
Woha yellem
Woha koom
Leslassa ishi
Katata aneed
Woha yellem
Aydellem
Mook gasgazza
Na amboha
Aneed gatata gra na ky
The lyrics to Momus's song Water Song are primarily in Orominya language, an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Ethiopia. The song begins with a series of phrases - "Orominya, Woha chigralla, Woha yellem, Woha koom" - that are repeated throughout the song. These phrases can be translated to mean "Oromia, the place where water flows, where the sun rises, and where people live." Momus shifts into a series of words that may be nonsensical to an English speaker, but still hold meaning in Orominya. "Mook gasgazza", for example, translates to "smiling like a person who doubts something is true." "Ayasfeligegnim" means "I am very hungry," and "Tenastalign" means "peace be with you."
Throughout the song, Momus seems to be singing about the beauty and richness of Oromia, specifically the importance of water, which is mentioned in both the repeating opening phrases and in other parts of the song. The lyrics also convey a sense of struggle, as evidenced by the repeated phrase "Aneed gatata gra na ky", which translates to "A man cannot survive here," and the lines "Dehnaderu / Ayasfeligegnim / Koom sigarra / Ayasfeligegnim koom," which can be interpreted to mean "I am walking slowly, I am very hungry, I am very tired, I am hungry again." In this way, the song seems to both celebrate and mourn the natural beauty and struggles of a place that Momus clearly feels a deep connection to.
Line by Line Meaning
Orominya
Referencing the Oromo people, an ethnic group from Ethiopia
Woha chigralla
The river is rising
Woha yellem
The water is coming
Woha koom
The water is abundant
Mook gasgazza
The river is rolling and tumbling
Na amboha
It is overflowing
Aneed gatata gra na ky
It's making noise as it flows by
Dehnaderu
In the villages
Ayasfeligegnim
We are very happy
Koom sigarra
Because there is plenty of water
Ayasfeligegnim koom
We are very happy because there is plenty of water
Leslassa ishi
The rain is falling
Katata aneed
The river is flowing
Woha yellem
The water is coming
Aydellem
It is coming down
Tenastalign
We thank God
Denaderu
In the villages
Chigr alla
The river is strong
Chigr yellem
The water is flowinig strongly
Contributed by Ian H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.