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 Saudi Arabia and from Taipei.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Basic Channel 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 Swans. All the underground hits.
All Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jeru the Damaja record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Big Daddy Kane record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
MC5,
The Blues Magoos,
Public Image Ltd.,
Newcleus,
The Kinks,
Lyres,
Sound Behaviour,
Oblivians,
Livin' Joy,
Brothers Johnson,
Chrome,
F. McDonald,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Aural Exciters,
Hardrive,
Althea and Donna,
Sister Nancy,
Boredoms,
the Sonics,
Susan Cadogan,
Underground Resistance,
Chris Corsano,
Pet Shop Boys,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Guru Guru,
Saccharine Trust,
The Five Americans,
FM Einheit,
OOIOO,
Tres Demented,
Con Funk Shun,
Can,
Excepter,
Wally Richardson,
Skarface,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Gories,
The New Christs,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Sonic Youth,
Reuben Wilson,
Kerrie Biddell,
Dennis Brown,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
DNA,
Camouflage,
Smog,
The Monochrome Set,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Gun Club,
John Foxx,
Jeru the Damaja,
MDC,
The Zeros,
Roger Hodgson,
Yellowson,
Intrusion,
Symarip, Symarip, Symarip, Symarip.
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.