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 Jordan and from Delhi.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 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 Livin' Joy to the techno 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 Half Japanese. All the underground hits.
All Bobby Womack tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Quantec record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Delta 5 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
The Birthday Party,
Arthur Verocai,
Avey Tare,
Heaven 17,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Amon Düül,
Mad Mike,
The Remains,
Slick Rick,
Ronan,
Pantytec,
Black Flag,
One Last Wish,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
DJ Sneak,
FM Einheit,
Andrew Hill,
Scott Walker,
Dark Day,
Harpers Bizarre,
DNA,
Robert Görl,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Joe Smooth,
PIL,
Gastr Del Sol,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
The Durutti Column,
Grauzone,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Radiohead,
Eve St. Jones,
Thee Headcoats,
Tommy Roe,
Ten City,
Chris & Cosey,
Cal Tjader,
Negative Approach,
Country Teasers,
Nils Olav,
Suburban Knight,
The Cure,
Main Source,
Lalo Schifrin,
Aloha Tigers,
Gichy Dan,
Symarip,
Sällskapet,
Surgeon,
Drive Like Jehu,
Dorothy Ashby,
Simply Red,
Flash Fearless,
Babytalk,
EPMD,
Section 25,
Make Up,
Absolute Body Control,
Hot Snakes,
Marmalade,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Smog, Smog, Smog, Smog.
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.