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 Solomon Islands and from Salvador.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 Taipei and Mexico City.
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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Liliput to the rock 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 Joensuu 1685. All the underground hits.
All Kerrie Biddell tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every UT 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Livin' Joy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Grandmaster Flash,
John Lydon,
Wasted Youth,
Gang Green,
Godley & Creme,
Bobby Sherman,
Leonard Cohen,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
The Gories,
The Buckinghams,
World's Most,
James White and The Blacks,
Byron Stingily,
Ornette Coleman,
Television,
Sun Ra,
Soul II Soul,
Bizarre Inc.,
Nico,
Gil Scott Heron,
Eric B and Rakim,
New York Dolls,
Hashim,
Cymande,
Johnny Clarke,
Blake Baxter,
Scott Walker,
The Golliwogs,
Scan 7,
The Zeros,
Archie Shepp,
Robert Wyatt,
Crash Course in Science,
Lakeside,
Faraquet,
Spoonie Gee,
E-Dancer,
Shuggie Otis,
Von Mondo,
Ultra Naté,
Lou Christie,
Little Man,
The Dirtbombs,
Laurel Aitken,
KRS-One,
the Association,
The Sound,
Inner City,
Pantaleimon,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Stereo Dub,
Minnie Riperton,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Arab on Radar,
Unwound,
Suicide,
The Move,
Zero Boys,
Fat Boys,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
The Litter, The Litter, The Litter, The Litter.
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.