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 Nigeria and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1969 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Jawbox to the rock kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Radio Birdman. All the underground hits.
All Glenn Branca tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Happenings record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a F. McDonald record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mission of Burma,
The Fuzztones,
Bush Tetras,
Carl Craig,
B.T. Express,
Anthony Braxton,
Con Funk Shun,
The Skatalites,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Tom Boy,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Ralphi Rosario,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Suburban Knight,
Dennis Brown,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Roy Ayers,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Los Fastidios,
Lightning Bolt,
Vladislav Delay,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Sandy B,
Sun City Girls,
Marvin Gaye,
Faraquet,
Sonic Youth,
The Music Machine,
Echospace,
Nico,
Masters at Work,
Soft Machine,
Rotary Connection,
Arcadia,
Stereo Dub,
Alphaville,
The Raincoats,
Magma,
Drive Like Jehu,
Japan,
The J.B.'s,
Alton Ellis,
Jandek,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Shoche,
Au Pairs,
Moss Icon,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Residents,
Kurtis Blow,
E-Dancer,
Livin' Joy,
Robert Hood,
Al Stewart,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Dead C,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
The Red Krayola,
The Wake,
Qualms,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Black Moon,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Albert Ayler, Albert Ayler, Albert Ayler, Albert Ayler.
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.