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 New Zealand and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Tommy Roe to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Newcleus. All the underground hits.
All The Happenings tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every L. Decosne record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Justin Hinds & The Dominoes record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Johnny Osbourne,
Agent Orange,
Gang of Four,
8 Eyed Spy,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Fugs,
Carl Craig,
Sound Behaviour,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Tears for Fears,
Kerri Chandler,
the Fania All-Stars,
Pet Shop Boys,
B.T. Express,
The Count Five,
Lower 48,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Anakelly,
Zero Boys,
X-102,
Jerry's Kids,
June Days,
Khruangbin,
Tropical Tobacco,
The Black Dice,
the Bar-Kays,
Bill Near,
PIL,
Amon Düül,
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Misunderstood,
the Swans,
The Blackbyrds,
Negative Approach,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Dead Boys,
Joe Smooth,
Section 25,
Subhumans,
The Leaves,
Quantec,
Faust,
Gang Green,
Con Funk Shun,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Eddi Front,
The Fire Engines,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Neil Young,
Pierre Henry,
These Immortal Souls,
Eyeless In Gaza,
John Lydon,
Mary Jane Girls,
Sparks,
Livin' Joy,
48th St. Collective,
Yellowson,
The Human League,
The Skatalites,
Gong,
Animal Collective, Animal Collective, Animal Collective, Animal Collective.
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.