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 Serbia and from Johannesburg.
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 Mumbai and Cairo.
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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 dance kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Gabor Szabo. All the underground hits.
All Joe Finger tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Duran Duran 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marshall Jefferson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cecil Taylor,
Traffic Nightmare,
The Detroit Cobras,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Pet Shop Boys,
JFA,
Bob Dylan,
The Knickerbockers,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Monks,
Ralphi Rosario,
Pharoah Sanders,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Index,
Dave Gahan,
Shuggie Otis,
Khruangbin,
The Gories,
Scion,
Young Marble Giants,
The Evens,
Cheater Slicks,
Peter & Gordon,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Sex Pistols,
Grandmaster Flash,
Depeche Mode,
Cybotron,
Amon Düül II,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Radiopuhelimet,
Bobby Womack,
Sparks,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Aloha Tigers,
Au Pairs,
Skriet,
Graham Central Station,
Wolf Eyes,
Sugar Minott,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
the Slits,
Eden Ahbez,
Don Cherry,
Smog,
Sight & Sound,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Sarah Menescal,
The Mojo Men,
Sexual Harrassment,
Terry Callier,
Pylon,
Siglo XX,
Arthur Verocai,
David Bowie,
Rhythm & Sound,
Make Up,
Livin' Joy,
Jerry's Kids,
The Martian,
Television Personalities,
The Remains,
Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke.
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.