Since starting this blog, I am hearing Momus everywhere. He seems to have been very ahead of his time as influences from his music are in adverts, pop songs, tv and theme music and my head generally. Of course, what everyone really wants to know is: what are the three songs in the children's TV series Lazytown that are most like songs by Momus?
I have two children. One is three years old. The other is ten years old, which means they survived being three. Either way, I am horribly familiar with the TV series Lazytown. Here is a description of the series.
But of the many songs sung in the series, what we need to know is which are the closest in style or intent to something Momus might create?*
#3 Gizmo Guy
A song about a gizmo obsessed guy who has every latest gadget going.
When could it be from? Definitely the early to mid 90s, when Momus was most enthusiastic about new technology:
"I like to play On my power PC A mouse-click away And life can be so easy I feel so bright With max-a-million megabytes"
But most tellingly, the music is not a million miles away from "Hairstyle of the Devil", with a clear nod to the chord sequence utilised. Are you seeing two, at exactly the same time?
It's even worse / better in German: TechnikFreak
#2 The Mine Song
Which can be found HERE
There is a character in LazyTown called Stingy, who just believes everything belongs to him.
Now, if he just said all the food was his, or the toys, that would be ... normal.
But in this music hall styled song, he claims ownership of abstract ideals as well:
"This blue balloon, the month of june... they're mine mine mine mine mine"
Most astonishingly, after a clearly Momus inspired musical break, he opines that:
"this instrumental break is also mine"
then:
"all your feelings are mine": an astoundingly complex concept for a children's show, followed by a Momus-esque chord change and breakdown. He runs away at the end to take up sword play with a faithful retainer, satisfying his uncle's dying wish.
#1 You are a Pirate
Fairly obvious really: the Pirate song and life can be found here.
More confident than Momus himself, who asked if he was rejected on account of being a pirate, Lazytown simply states, YOU are a pirate: deal with it and get on board (literally).
The Freudian import of lyrics such as:
"We got us a map To lead us to a hidden box That's all locked up with locks (with locks!) And buried deep away"
is fairly clear. Bury it away, children, along with what the strange man with the glued on beard did to you on his mizzen mast...**
I never quite understood why the villain (Robbie Rotten) wanted the children to be pirates, the pirate lifestyle sounded quite active and healthy, which was exactly what he wanted to guide them away from.
So there you are. Maybe you disagree, maybe there are Lazytown songs even more obviously written by a Momus acolyte. What other children's series could be plundered?
Scooby Doo? Minipops?
(There is this rather disturbing song about a rainbow by Show Me Show Me's character Mo Mo - NOT Momo. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/show-me-show-me-momobot ), that could be early 90s.
*No, I am not having a nervous breakdown. I am continuing a nervous breakdown.
** I am not in any way denigrating the memory of Stefán Karl Stefánsson who played Robbie Rotten, and unfortunately died of cancer in 2018 aged 43. He was an ambassador for Iceland, an ambassador for acting, a great children's entertainer and by all accounts a good, kind and generous man. I am not in any way accusing him of anything. Robbie Rotten, however, was an idiot and fair game. It is testament to Stefán's skills as an actor that I can treat them separately in this way.
