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 Tanzania and from Woodstock.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Jakarta.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Public Image Ltd. to the disco kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Michelle Simonal. All the underground hits.
All Gang Starr tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Hoover record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 an arpeggiator and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nik Kershaw record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Knickerbockers,
Bootsy Collins,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Yusef Lateef,
Groovy Waters,
The United States of America,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Standells,
Cameo,
Vainqueur,
John Cale,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Michelle Simonal,
Yellowson,
Au Pairs,
Slave,
Panda Bear,
Sarah Menescal,
Nils Olav,
Funky Four + One,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Sparks,
The Last Poets,
Pharoah Sanders,
The Slits,
Letta Mbulu,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Echospace,
Arab on Radar,
The Cure,
Funkadelic,
Sällskapet,
Fela Kuti,
One Last Wish,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
UT,
The Mojo Men,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Brand Nubian,
Icehouse,
Franke,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Rosa Yemen,
Joy Division,
Kevin Saunderson,
Robert Görl,
Fear,
The Zeros,
Mark Hollis,
Arcadia,
Bizarre Inc.,
Talk Talk,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Ituana,
Wolf Eyes,
Crispy Ambulance,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Ossler,
Lou Reed,
Minor Threat,
Harmonia,
Graham Central Station,
Neu!, Neu!, Neu!, Neu!.
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.