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 Kosovo and from Philadelphia.
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 1968 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The Busters to the grunge 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 New Age Steppers. All the underground hits.
All The Monks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Brothers Johnson 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a B.T. Express record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Q and Not U,
Reuben Wilson,
New York Dolls,
Joe Finger,
Whodini,
Trumans Water,
Glenn Branca,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Section 25,
Lightning Bolt,
Todd Terry,
Cecil Taylor,
The Slackers,
Excepter,
A Certain Ratio,
Peter and Kerry,
Jeff Lynne,
Tears for Fears,
The Zeros,
Sexual Harrassment,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Warren Ellis,
D'Angelo,
Guru Guru,
The Motions,
New Age Steppers,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The United States of America,
Amazonics,
Tomorrow,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Jeff Mills,
Qualms,
The Trojans,
Rites of Spring,
Albert Ayler,
The Five Americans,
Deadbeat,
Gang of Four,
Oneida,
the Bar-Kays,
Judy Mowatt,
The Cure,
Youth Brigade,
Ludus,
Slave,
Anakelly,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
John Coltrane,
Donny Hathaway,
Wolf Eyes,
Cluster,
The Birthday Party,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Frankie Knuckles,
Neu!,
Soul II Soul,
Make Up,
The Happenings,
Technova,
Crispian St. Peters,
Man Eating Sloth, Man Eating Sloth, Man Eating Sloth, Man Eating Sloth.
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.