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.
You've Changed
Momus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You and him and the ghost of me
Two plus one is three and two plus a ghost is three
I guess there must be six of us now
I remember you telling me
That even though you loved him
Like sister loves a brother
Hanging over you, the ghost of your ex-lover
There are six of us
The ghost no longer resembles me
Younger, more good-looking
Like my memories of you are
More permanent and truer
Than the girl I see before me
Are we real or are we spirits?
You've changed but your face has stayed the same
In my memories of you I still feel a little pain
But I've changed too
Don't let's talk about faithfulness
Now that there are six of us
Don't get possessive, it's melodramatic
It's not love, it's mathematics
There are six of us now
You've changed but your face has stayed the same
In my memories of you I still feel a little pain
But I've changed too
Don't let's talk about faithfulness
Now that there are six of us
Don't get possessive, it's melodramatic
It's not love, it's mathematics
There are six of us now
Me and her and the ghost of you
You and him and the ghost of me
Two plus one is three and two plus a ghost is three
I guess there must be six of us now
You've changed and I'm looking at your face
But the feelings that I feel are in another time and place
You've changed, you're more vulnerable now
But the arrogance you had was beautiful somehow
You've changed and your boyfriend hangs about
He wants to know if I'm the one he's heard so much about
But I've changed too
You've changed but your face has stayed the same
In my memories of you I still feel a little pain
You've changed and the passion fades away
And politeness takes its place, but I long to kiss your face
You've changed, you're more vulnerable now
But the arrogance you had was beautiful somehow
But I've changed too
The lyrics of "You've Changed" by Momus depict the complex relationships we have with our past loves and the ghosts of these relationships that linger with us even as we move on. The song is essentially about the aftermath of a failed relationship, where both parties have moved on but the ghosts of their past still haunt them. The first verse talks about how there are now six of them - the two of them, their new partners, and the ghosts of their exes. The second verse explores the idea of the ghost no longer resembling the person they once were, as memories are often more permanent and truer than anything else.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that "You've changed but your face has stayed the same," meaning that even though time has passed and they have moved on, there is still a feeling of pain and longing for what was. The lyrics also caution against getting possessive and melodramatic, acknowledging that it's not about love but mathematics now that there are six of them. The final verse talks about how both parties have changed, but the feelings - both the pain and the lingering attraction - still exist.
Overall, "You've Changed" is a poignant exploration of the lingering impact of past relationships and how they can continue to shape us even as we move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and her and the ghost of you
There are three people present, but the presence of the person who is no longer here is felt.
You and him and the ghost of me
There are three people present, but the presence of the person who is no longer here is felt.
Two plus one is three and two plus a ghost is three
The addition of a person who is no longer here still counts towards the total number of people present.
I guess there must be six of us now
The presence of the people who are no longer here is still felt, making it seem like there are more than three people present.
I remember you telling me
The artist has a memory of the person telling them something.
That even though you loved him
The person had love for someone, despite being in another relationship.
Like sister loves a brother
The love for the other person was familial, not romantic.
There'll always be another
The feelings for the person who is no longer present will never completely go away.
Hanging over you, the ghost of your ex-lover
The presence of the person who is no longer there is still felt and affects the current relationship.
There are six of us
The presence of the people who are no longer here is still felt, making it seem like there are more than three people present.
The ghost no longer resembles me
The image of the person who is no longer there has changed in the singer's mind.
Younger, more good-looking
The idealized image of the person is more visually appealing than the reality of the person in front of the artist.
Like my memories of you are
The idealized memory of the person is more appealing than the reality of the person in front of the singer.
More permanent and truer
The memory of the person is more real and lasting than the person themselves.
Than the girl I see before me
The person in front of the singer is not living up to the memory they have of them.
Are we real or are we spirits?
The artist questions whether the current experience is real or just a figment of their imagination.
You've changed but your face has stayed the same
The person in front of the artist has changed, but still resembles the person they remember.
In my memories of you I still feel a little pain
The memory of the person still brings up negative emotions for the singer.
Don't let's talk about faithfulness
The topic of being loyal to a partner is not worth discussing.
Now that there are six of us
The presence of the people who are no longer here still affects the current relationship.
Don't get possessive, it's melodramatic
The idea of having ownership over another person is overly dramatic and unnecessary.
It's not love, it's mathematics
The current relationship is not based on love, but rather on the number of people involved.
You've changed and I'm looking at your face
The person has changed since the singer last saw them.
But the feelings that I feel are in another time and place
The emotions and memories associated with the person are from a different time.
You've changed, you're more vulnerable now
The person in front of the singer is showing more sensitivity and openness than before.
But the arrogance you had was beautiful somehow
The singer appreciated the confidence and self-assuredness the person had in the past.
But I've changed too
The singer has also undergone changes since the last time they saw the other person.
You've changed and your boyfriend hangs about
The person has changed and now has a boyfriend who is also present.
He wants to know if I'm the one he's heard so much about
The boyfriend has heard about the artist and is curious about their relationship with his girlfriend.
You've changed and the passion fades away
The romantic feelings towards the person have diminished over time.
And politeness takes its place, but I long to kiss your face
The relationship with the person has become more polite and less intimate, but the singer still retains feelings for them.
You're more vulnerable now
The person in front of the artist is showing more sensitivity and openness than before.
But the arrogance you had was beautiful somehow
The artist appreciated the confidence and self-assuredness the person had in the past.
But I've changed too
The artist has also undergone changes since the last time they saw the other person.
Contributed by Sebastian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aldo Charles
on Morality Is Vanity
I’ve been listening to this song last two weeks.