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 Antigua and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Bluetip to the punk kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Offenders. All the underground hits.
All Nick Fraelich tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cymande 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 mellotron and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bobby Byrd record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Judy Mowatt,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Robert Wyatt,
Pagans,
Fluxion,
Joe Smooth,
Delta 5,
Vladislav Delay,
UT,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Funky Four + One,
New York Dolls,
AZ,
Stiv Bators,
Black Pus,
Neil Young,
Gregory Isaacs,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Erasure,
Gichy Dan,
Ohio Players,
Harmonia,
Iggy Pop,
The Moody Blues,
The Gladiators,
The Fugs,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Throbbing Gristle,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Fad Gadget,
Pole,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Lee Hazlewood,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
The Standells,
Nils Olav,
These Immortal Souls,
Whodini,
The Dead C,
Brass Construction,
The Saints,
June of 44,
Aswad,
Quando Quango,
Charles Mingus,
Barrington Levy,
Cameo,
Electric Prunes,
Radio Birdman,
Sandy B,
Parry Music,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Buzzcocks,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Josef K,
Schoolly D,
Chris & Cosey,
Grandmaster Flash,
Porter Ricks,
Dave Gahan,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Alice Coltrane,
Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt.
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.