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 Nepal and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the sitar 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 Soft Cell to the punk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Lafayette Afro Rock Band. All the underground hits.
All Radiopuhelimet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Oblivians record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 theremin and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Public Enemy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Peter and Kerry,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
Ultravox,
The New Christs,
The Skatalites,
X-101,
The Blues Magoos,
Mantronix,
The Smiths,
Man Parrish,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Country Teasers,
Joyce Sims,
John Cale,
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Flesh Eaters,
48th St. Collective,
Scientists,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Five Americans,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Ronan,
Stereo Dub,
Marshall Jefferson,
Minor Threat,
Clear Light,
John Lydon,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
ABBA,
June Days,
The Count Five,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Johnny Clarke,
This Heat,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Pierre Henry,
Organ,
Ralphi Rosario,
Connie Case,
Lindisfarne,
The Young Rascals,
Boogie Down Productions,
Rakim,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Can,
Shoche,
Faust,
Altered Images,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Parry Music,
CMW,
Eurythmics,
Maurizio,
Goldenarms,
Arcadia,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Mary Jane Girls,
Bluetip,
Joey Negro,
James White and The Blacks,
Talk Talk, Talk Talk, Talk Talk, Talk Talk.
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.