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 South Sudan and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1987.
I was there at the first Nirvana show in Seattle.
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 1966 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 rhodes 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 ABBA to the rap kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Schoolly D. All the underground hits.
All Howard Jones tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gang Starr record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Smiths record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Tropical Tobacco,
The Moody Blues,
New Order,
Ultimate Spinach,
Visage,
Carl Craig,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Kaleidoscope,
Eli Mardock,
Youth Brigade,
Electric Prunes,
The Dirtbombs,
MDC,
Index,
Toni Rubio,
Robert Wyatt,
8 Eyed Spy,
The Gun Club,
Qualms,
Eurythmics,
Urselle,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Cramps,
Kurtis Blow,
Mr. Review,
Ronan,
Soul Sonic Force,
Camouflage,
Rhythm & Sound,
This Heat,
Barry Ungar,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Barclay James Harvest,
Kayak,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Adolescents,
The Fortunes,
Juan Atkins,
a-ha,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Avey Tare,
Sam Rivers,
The Mojo Men,
Rapeman,
Mo-Dettes,
Clear Light,
The Victims,
The Index,
Jerry's Kids,
Fugazi,
Scratch Acid,
The Gories,
Ronnie Foster,
Interpol,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Alison Limerick,
Scion,
The Searchers,
Television,
Maurizio,
Vladislav Delay,
Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen.
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.