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 Angola and from Shanghai.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 David Bowie to the electroclash 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 The Young Rascals. All the underground hits.
All Liaisons Dangereuses tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Gap Band 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Livin' Joy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Young Marble Giants,
Organ,
Brothers Johnson,
The Tremeloes,
K-Klass,
Marmalade,
Oblivians,
The Electric Prunes,
Scott Walker,
The Count Five,
The Cowsills,
The Invisible,
Skarface,
Sällskapet,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Minutemen,
Warren Ellis,
The Modern Lovers,
Yellowson,
The Shadows of Knight,
Mission of Burma,
Pet Shop Boys,
Eric Dolphy,
Marvin Gaye,
Minor Threat,
Jawbox,
the Slits,
Cameo,
Ken Boothe,
Bobby Sherman,
Lightning Bolt,
Bad Manners,
Pagans,
Prince Buster,
Banda Bassotti,
Gichy Dan,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Monolake,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Gang Starr,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Wake,
Stetsasonic,
The Stooges,
Peter and Kerry,
Circle Jerks,
Jeff Lynne,
Ohio Players,
The American Breed,
Lucky Dragons,
Freddie Wadling,
Oneida,
Rosa Yemen,
Dead Boys,
The Fortunes,
James White and The Blacks,
Barrington Levy,
Glambeats Corp.,
Chrome,
Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp.
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.