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 Papua New Guinea and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Cairo.
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 snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Flipper to the rock kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Ituana. All the underground hits.
All Supertramp tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every L. Decosne record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 an organ and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Scratch Acid record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Cramps,
June of 44,
Audionom,
Blancmange,
Marvin Gaye,
Colin Newman,
Judy Mowatt,
Lebanon Hanover,
Delon & Dalcan,
Crooked Eye,
Archie Shepp,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
8 Eyed Spy,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Jacques Brel,
Clear Light,
Main Source,
The Golliwogs,
Steve Hackett,
James White and The Blacks,
Ohio Players,
The American Breed,
Echospace,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Moody Blues,
Sugar Minott,
Wally Richardson,
Ultimate Spinach,
Bronski Beat,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Pole,
LL Cool J,
the Association,
Shuggie Otis,
Gabor Szabo,
The Move,
Con Funk Shun,
Silicon Teens,
Fela Kuti,
Glambeats Corp.,
Bill Near,
Q and Not U,
Drive Like Jehu,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
The Associates,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Bizarre Inc.,
Faraquet,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
KRS-One,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Dawn Penn,
Tears for Fears,
Stiv Bators,
Aural Exciters,
The Birthday Party,
The Smiths,
Laurel Aitken,
Black Bananas,
Average White Band,
Maleditus Sound,
Barrington Levy,
Model 500, Model 500, Model 500, Model 500.
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.