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 Jamaica and from Johannesburg.
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 1967 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Ultimate Spinach to the grime kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Gary Puckett & The Union Gap. All the underground hits.
All The Raincoats tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amazonics 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Misunderstood record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Beau Brummels,
The Five Americans,
Saccharine Trust,
Cal Tjader,
The Sisters of Mercy,
John Lydon,
Fluxion,
The Zeros,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Skriet,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Darondo,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Dennis Brown,
The Motions,
The American Breed,
Y Pants,
Wolf Eyes,
Bad Manners,
Ohio Players,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Agent Orange,
Skarface,
Dual Sessions,
Sister Nancy,
Nik Kershaw,
Girls At Our Best!,
Crispy Ambulance,
T. Rex,
Yaz,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Grauzone,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Rekid,
John Cale,
Barbara Tucker,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Sixth Finger,
Gang Green,
Henry Cow,
Bill Near,
The Standells,
Index,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Doobie Brothers,
Crooked Eye,
The Grass Roots,
Accadde A,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Visage,
Man Parrish,
Spoonie Gee,
Banda Bassotti,
Porter Ricks,
Bob Dylan,
the Human League,
Wire,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Mummies,
Eden Ahbez, Eden Ahbez, Eden Ahbez, Eden Ahbez.
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.