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 Botswana and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Buzzcocks show in Bolton.
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 1965 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Judy Mowatt to the rap 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 OOIOO. All the underground hits.
All The Barracudas tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Beau Brummels record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Vogues record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Josef K,
The Gun Club,
Peter & Gordon,
It's A Beautiful Day,
the Swans,
Drive Like Jehu,
Alphaville,
Quantec,
Massinfluence,
Hot Snakes,
Alton Ellis,
Danielle Patucci,
Barry Ungar,
The Monks,
Camberwell Now,
The Slits,
Pantaleimon,
Intrusion,
Sun Ra,
The Litter,
Hashim,
The Residents,
Con Funk Shun,
Absolute Body Control,
The Selecter,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Masters at Work,
Rakim,
MDC,
Rosa Yemen,
The Seeds,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
The Raincoats,
The Mummies,
The Names,
Youth Brigade,
Piero Umiliani,
La Düsseldorf,
Circle Jerks,
Nirvana,
Aloha Tigers,
Gil Scott Heron,
Monks,
Bizarre Inc.,
Banda Bassotti,
Zero Boys,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Birthday Party,
Oblivians,
Audionom,
The Associates,
The Techniques,
X-Ray Spex,
Black Flag,
Simply Red,
the Human League,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Alison Limerick,
Albert Ayler,
Franke,
Gang Starr,
Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division.
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.