Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Libya and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Roy Ayers Ubiquity to the rock kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by Oblivians. All the underground hits.
All Red Lorry Yellow Lorry tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Piero Umiliani record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Joyce Sims record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Five Americans,
Kevin Saunderson,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Real Kids,
Aural Exciters,
Slick Rick,
Bobby Womack,
Bush Tetras,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Ituana,
Oblivians,
The Offenders,
Maurizio,
Pet Shop Boys,
Moss Icon,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Monks,
The Modern Lovers,
Lakeside,
Bronski Beat,
Iggy Pop,
Dead Boys,
Royal Trux,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Arab on Radar,
John Holt,
La Düsseldorf,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
the Association,
The Gories,
The Stooges,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Sixth Finger,
Masters at Work,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Quadrant,
The Dirtbombs,
Youth Brigade,
Depeche Mode,
Smog,
Traffic Nightmare,
Kerrie Biddell,
Livin' Joy,
Animal Collective,
the Human League,
Robert Hood,
June Days,
The Monochrome Set,
Nas,
Tomorrow,
Letta Mbulu,
Roxette,
The Motions,
Japan,
Adolescents,
Dave Gahan, Dave Gahan, Dave Gahan, Dave Gahan.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.