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 Jordan and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1969 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 Lou Reed 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 crunk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Gian Franco Pienzio. All the underground hits.
All Sex Pistols tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Babytalk record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an organ and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Skatalites record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Fat Boys,
The Names,
Aaron Thompson,
The J.B.'s,
Hashim,
Susan Cadogan,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Kerri Chandler,
Mad Mike,
Wolf Eyes,
Das Ding,
Radio Birdman,
Swell Maps,
Bobby Womack,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The Offenders,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Althea and Donna,
Kurtis Blow,
AZ,
Supertramp,
Pagans,
Joensuu 1685,
T.S.O.L.,
Jeru the Damaja,
Grandmaster Flash,
Newcleus,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Crispian St. Peters,
Aloha Tigers,
Scan 7,
Maurizio,
Camouflage,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Josef K,
The Misunderstood,
Dark Day,
Alton Ellis,
The Dave Clark Five,
Cecil Taylor,
Roxette,
Glenn Branca,
Franke,
Talk Talk,
Maleditus Sound,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Tomorrow,
PIL,
Mandrill,
Boogie Down Productions,
Eric Copeland,
Lungfish,
Andrew Hill,
Nick Fraelich,
The Slackers,
Robert Görl,
Country Teasers,
Mission of Burma,
Adolescents,
Blancmange,
Prince Buster, Prince Buster, Prince Buster, Prince Buster.
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.