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 Bolivia and from Calgary.
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 1963 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 snare 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 The Real Kids to the rock kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Deepchord. All the underground hits.
All Monks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Parry Music 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Joe Smooth record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bluetip,
Thompson Twins,
Nirvana,
The Doors,
Tom Boy,
Avey Tare,
The Techniques,
the Germs,
Chris & Cosey,
Vladislav Delay,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Isaac Hayes,
The Birthday Party,
Moebius,
Newcleus,
Sun Ra,
Pantaleimon,
Mark Hollis,
Eric Dolphy,
Porter Ricks,
Nation of Ulysses,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Siglo XX,
Derrick Morgan,
Shuggie Otis,
Grandmaster Flash,
Don Cherry,
The Gories,
Half Japanese,
Section 25,
the Slits,
Boredoms,
Amon Düül II,
The Gun Club,
The Angels of Light,
Lightning Bolt,
Sandy B,
Suburban Knight,
Supertramp,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Morten Harket,
Niagra,
Sugar Minott,
Boz Scaggs,
Babytalk,
Pussy Galore,
Howard Jones,
Toni Rubio,
Gabor Szabo,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Invisible,
Blancmange,
The Shadows of Knight,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Das Ding,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Rosa Yemen,
The Music Machine,
Lee Hazlewood,
Dead Boys,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines.
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.