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 Slovakia and from Lyon.
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 1962 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Skriet to the electroclash 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 Smog. All the underground hits.
All Henry Cow tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Accadde A record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Niagra,
Japan,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Beau Brummels,
Fad Gadget,
Bauhaus,
Mark Hollis,
The Standells,
Symarip,
Soft Cell,
John Lydon,
Y Pants,
Bad Manners,
The Searchers,
Schoolly D,
cv313,
Franke,
James White and The Blacks,
Flipper,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Clear Light,
Alton Ellis,
Pussy Galore,
Amon Düül,
Gastr Del Sol,
Panda Bear,
The Index,
Dual Sessions,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Litter,
Drive Like Jehu,
Eurythmics,
Average White Band,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Harry Pussy,
Essential Logic,
JFA,
Kerrie Biddell,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
T.S.O.L.,
Jesper Dahlback,
Man Parrish,
These Immortal Souls,
The Fall,
The Dave Clark Five,
Peter and Kerry,
Babytalk,
Oneida,
Robert Hood,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Juan Atkins,
Stetsasonic,
June Days,
The Slits,
The Velvet Underground,
Scratch Acid,
Whodini,
Cymande,
Boogie Down Productions,
Bootsy Collins,
Skaos,
Lucky Dragons,
John Holt,
Mission of Burma, Mission of Burma, Mission of Burma, Mission of Burma.
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.