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 Israel 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 1967 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the güiro 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 Albert Ayler to the rap kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Talk Talk. All the underground hits.
All Beasts of Bourbon tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every New York Dolls record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Yellowson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lalann,
James White and The Blacks,
Babytalk,
Pussy Galore,
Sun Ra,
Section 25,
Iggy Pop,
The Martian,
Monolake,
Cecil Taylor,
Jeff Lynne,
Mo-Dettes,
The Fortunes,
a-ha,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Mandrill,
Oneida,
Ultravox,
Das Ding,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Joy Division,
Derrick May,
the Swans,
This Heat,
Davy DMX,
The Saints,
The Knickerbockers,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Godley & Creme,
Nils Olav,
Guru Guru,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Eddi Front,
The Offenders,
Bobby Byrd,
Connie Case,
Magma,
Terry Callier,
Eden Ahbez,
Rhythm & Sound,
Nirvana,
The Red Krayola,
Curtis Mayfield,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
The Leaves,
Masters at Work,
H. Thieme,
Schoolly D,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
June of 44,
Blossom Toes,
Mantronix,
Sun City Girls,
Josef K,
Basic Channel,
48th St. Collective,
Freddie Wadling,
Accadde A,
Heaven 17,
Procol Harum,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Subhumans, Subhumans, Subhumans, Subhumans.
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.