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 Belgium and from Johannesburg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in London.
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 1961 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Negative Approach to the funk kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 DJ Sneak. All the underground hits.
All The Saints tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fela Kuti record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 clarinet and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tim Buckley record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Schoolly D,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Tim Buckley,
Spandau Ballet,
Maleditus Sound,
Junior Murvin,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Althea and Donna,
Grandmaster Flash,
New York Dolls,
Fluxion,
Nick Fraelich,
Bobby Womack,
Make Up,
Barry Ungar,
Wire,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
The Remains,
Scrapy,
The Velvet Underground,
Alice Coltrane,
Big Daddy Kane,
Brick,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
PIL,
Pussy Galore,
Tres Demented,
Infiniti,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Letta Mbulu,
The Moleskins,
Lou Christie,
ABBA,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Barrington Levy,
The Electric Prunes,
Yusef Lateef,
Amon Düül,
Ultravox,
Terry Callier,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Negative Approach,
Rapeman,
Wings,
Minutemen,
The Saints,
B.T. Express,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Ronan,
Clear Light,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Doors,
Marcia Griffiths,
Ultimate Spinach,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Bobby Sherman,
Camouflage,
Soul Sonic Force,
Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins.
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.