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 Belarus and from Glasgow.
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 1960 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Bronski Beat to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Robert Wyatt. All the underground hits.
All Johnny Osbourne tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Blancmange record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 an oboe and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rakim record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Japan,
Adolescents,
Susan Cadogan,
The Dave Clark Five,
Royal Trux,
The Monochrome Set,
The Offenders,
Kevin Saunderson,
Deepchord,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Ralphi Rosario,
Rosa Yemen,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Section 25,
Big Daddy Kane,
The Beau Brummels,
the Swans,
Drive Like Jehu,
Bluetip,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
The Flesh Eaters,
Heaven 17,
The Martian,
Rakim,
Kenny Larkin,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Supertramp,
The Alarm Clocks,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Blancmange,
Robert Hood,
Swell Maps,
The Fuzztones,
Rekid,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Shoche,
It's A Beautiful Day,
EPMD,
Junior Murvin,
Y Pants,
Public Enemy,
Tubeway Army,
The Dirtbombs,
Eric Copeland,
Aaron Thompson,
Maleditus Sound,
ABC,
Pagans,
Severed Heads,
Cameo,
Barrington Levy,
Dawn Penn,
Schoolly D,
Lower 48,
Johnny Osbourne,
Sun Ra,
Moebius,
Brand Nubian,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Television Personalities, Television Personalities, Television Personalities, Television Personalities.
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.