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 Cyprus and from Manila.
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 1965 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Sound to the crunk 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 Erykah Badu. All the underground hits.
All Lizzy Mercier Descloux tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Sound record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bob Dylan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Roger Hodgson,
The United States of America,
Blossom Toes,
Crash Course in Science,
The Red Krayola,
Grauzone,
Urselle,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Smog,
Dawn Penn,
New Order,
Ohio Players,
Gang Starr,
Fela Kuti,
Circle Jerks,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Radiohead,
The Five Americans,
Leonard Cohen,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Scratch Acid,
The Happenings,
Bad Manners,
The Slits,
Lalann,
Joe Smooth,
The Fire Engines,
Echospace,
Lebanon Hanover,
Young Marble Giants,
Glenn Branca,
Loose Ends,
Theoretical Girls,
Chris Corsano,
Essential Logic,
The Star Department,
Basic Channel,
Black Moon,
Public Enemy,
Lakeside,
Newcleus,
Japan,
Whodini,
the Slits,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
the Fania All-Stars,
Parry Music,
The Standells,
Delon & Dalcan,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Wire,
Sonny Sharrock,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Shadows of Knight,
Fatback Band,
Minnie Riperton,
Lower 48,
Pere Ubu,
Surgeon, Surgeon, Surgeon, Surgeon.
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.