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 Korea South and from Manila.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Glenn Branca to the crunk 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 Cybotron. All the underground hits.
All Bang On A Can tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Zero Boys record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 sitar and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Donny Hathaway 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?
Cybotron,
U.S. Maple,
The Standells,
Michelle Simonal,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
F. McDonald,
Althea and Donna,
The Evens,
Piero Umiliani,
Soulsonic Force,
Bootsy Collins,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Offenders,
Jimmy McGriff,
Negative Approach,
Anthony Braxton,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Ralphi Rosario,
Organ,
Kayak,
Glenn Branca,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Moebius,
Ultimate Spinach,
Minnie Riperton,
Glambeats Corp.,
Nik Kershaw,
The Detroit Cobras,
The Fuzztones,
Marc Almond,
Absolute Body Control,
Gang Green,
Rapeman,
Terry Callier,
Yellowson,
Lalann,
Roy Ayers,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Cecil Taylor,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Gang of Four,
Intrusion,
Deadbeat,
the Human League,
Pharoah Sanders,
Jacques Brel,
Sugar Minott,
Isaac Hayes,
Animal Collective,
B.T. Express,
Marcia Griffiths,
Fela Kuti,
The Trojans,
PIL,
Dark Day,
Ken Boothe,
Rites of Spring,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Faraquet,
Main Source,
Flamin' Groovies, Flamin' Groovies, Flamin' Groovies, Flamin' Groovies.
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.