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 Kyrgyzstan and from Copenhagen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1987.
I was there at the first Nirvana show in Seattle.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 harpsichord 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 Scion to the grime 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 Moby Grape. All the underground hits.
All Maleditus Sound tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythim Is Rhythim record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Chrome record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joey Negro,
The Birthday Party,
Gang of Four,
Davy DMX,
Lalann,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
the Slits,
Pulsallama,
The Leaves,
Simply Red,
DNA,
Country Teasers,
Funky Four + One,
Khruangbin,
Alphaville,
Section 25,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Rapeman,
Flipper,
AZ,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Skatalites,
Bang On A Can,
Loose Ends,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Litter,
Youth Brigade,
James White and The Blacks,
Little Man,
Pylon,
Steve Hackett,
Young Marble Giants,
Von Mondo,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Susan Cadogan,
Barbara Tucker,
Essential Logic,
Royal Trux,
The Victims,
Swell Maps,
Joy Division,
Eyeless In Gaza,
the Human League,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Dual Sessions,
48th St. Collective,
Bauhaus,
Matthew Halsall,
Ronan,
X-102,
Procol Harum,
The Martian,
Tubeway Army,
Robert Görl,
Derrick May,
CMW,
Roxette,
The Young Rascals,
Rotary Connection,
Gil Scott Heron, Gil Scott Heron, Gil Scott Heron, Gil Scott Heron.
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.