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 Cameroon and from Beijing.
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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 Michael McDonald 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 Television to the dance 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 Lalo Schifrin. All the underground hits.
All Jimmy McGriff tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cheater Slicks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 clarinet and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Terror Squad Feat. Camron 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?
Laurel Aitken,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Erasure,
Masters at Work,
Faraquet,
Country Joe & The Fish,
The Remains,
Nils Olav,
the Slits,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Franke,
Gastr Del Sol,
Fat Boys,
Cameo,
Janne Schatter,
the Bar-Kays,
Aural Exciters,
the Germs,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Derrick Morgan,
the Swans,
Lucky Dragons,
The Gun Club,
The Divine Comedy,
Von Mondo,
Das Ding,
Drexciya,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Gladiators,
Underground Resistance,
Sex Pistols,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Judy Mowatt,
Joey Negro,
The Fugs,
Groovy Waters,
Shuggie Otis,
The Monochrome Set,
Liliput,
John Cale,
JFA,
Blossom Toes,
Average White Band,
Lyres,
Fela Kuti,
Scratch Acid,
Metal Thangz,
Rotary Connection,
The Associates,
Chris & Cosey,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Fluxion,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Mary Jane Girls,
Cecil Taylor,
Bauhaus,
The Fire Engines,
Thompson Twins,
Bang On A Can,
Zapp, Zapp, Zapp, Zapp.
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.