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 Mumbai.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and New York.
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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Essential Logic to the funk 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 Flamin' Groovies. All the underground hits.
All Cymande tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Roger Hodgson record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Stereo Dub record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Associates,
Pantytec,
Sparks,
Second Layer,
Camouflage,
The Move,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Chris & Cosey,
Ultravox,
The Beau Brummels,
Faraquet,
The Stooges,
Public Image Ltd.,
Nik Kershaw,
Toni Rubio,
Pantaleimon,
Sex Pistols,
Girls At Our Best!,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Pussy Galore,
Spoonie Gee,
Lindisfarne,
The American Breed,
Black Flag,
Donald Byrd,
Terrestrial Tones,
James White and The Blacks,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Fluxion,
Tim Buckley,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Con Funk Shun,
Barbara Tucker,
Public Enemy,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Barracudas,
Ralphi Rosario,
Pere Ubu,
Aswad,
The Fall,
Radio Birdman,
Pharoah Sanders,
Black Moon,
Marvin Gaye,
Brothers Johnson,
U.S. Maple,
Intrusion,
The Remains,
The Doors,
New Age Steppers,
Icehouse,
Popol Vuh,
Sandy B,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Magma,
Absolute Body Control,
Section 25,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Sixth Finger,
Robert Wyatt,
The Golliwogs,
Agitation Free, Agitation Free, Agitation Free, Agitation Free.
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.