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 Malta and from Seoul.
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 1960 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Beijing.
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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Black Dice 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 The Barracudas. All the underground hits.
All Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lightning Bolt record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 marimba and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a John Coltrane record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Eric B and Rakim,
Intrusion,
The Happenings,
The Fall,
The Young Rascals,
Pere Ubu,
the Swans,
kango's stein massive,
The Names,
World's Most,
Faraquet,
Visage,
The Sonics,
Oneida,
Eric Dolphy,
John Lydon,
The Saints,
10cc,
The Count Five,
Gabor Szabo,
Simply Red,
Section 25,
Fugazi,
Moby Grape,
Quantec,
Freddie Wadling,
Television,
Godley & Creme,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Minny Pops,
Derrick May,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Zero Boys,
Fluxion,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Rakim,
Make Up,
Sister Nancy,
Tears for Fears,
The Smiths,
T. Rex,
Radio Birdman,
Robert Hood,
Index,
The Selecter,
Little Man,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Maurizio,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
The Velvet Underground,
Yaz,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Cameo,
E-Dancer,
Rapeman,
Thompson Twins,
Agent Orange,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Lebanon Hanover,
Avey Tare,
Young Marble Giants,
John Cale, John Cale, John Cale, John Cale.
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.