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 Senegal and from Cairo.
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 1964 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 güiro 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 Arthur Verocai to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Letta Mbulu. All the underground hits.
All Ultravox tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Junior Murvin record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 spring reverb and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Qualms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Durutti Column,
Avey Tare,
The Doobie Brothers,
Black Bananas,
June Days,
Vainqueur,
Oblivians,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Doors,
Icehouse,
Patti Smith,
Gregory Isaacs,
Cluster,
The Detroit Cobras,
Aswad,
Camberwell Now,
Iggy Pop,
Marvin Gaye,
KRS-One,
The Fall,
Skriet,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Amon Düül II,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Ultra Naté,
The Leaves,
Man Parrish,
The Moleskins,
Byron Stingily,
The Mojo Men,
Loose Ends,
Minutemen,
Stiv Bators,
Scott Walker,
Davy DMX,
The Index,
Rosa Yemen,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Monochrome Set,
Average White Band,
John Holt,
Jandek,
The Wake,
Kerri Chandler,
Scrapy,
Harpers Bizarre,
Japan,
John Lydon,
Bang On A Can,
Dead Boys,
Isaac Hayes,
Josef K,
The Pop Group,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Pet Shop Boys,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Toasters,
X-101,
Kurtis Blow,
Rapeman,
Sister Nancy,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Joey Negro, Joey Negro, Joey Negro, Joey Negro.
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.