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 Marshall Islands and from Lagos.
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 1961 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Maurizio to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Siouxsie and the Banshees. All the underground hits.
All Robert Hood tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every X-Ray Spex record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a James Chance & The Contortions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ten City,
Eve St. Jones,
the Sonics,
Absolute Body Control,
R.M.O.,
Sexual Harrassment,
The Selecter,
Bauhaus,
Tom Boy,
Bronski Beat,
The Kinks,
Harmonia,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
kango's stein massive,
the Germs,
Trumans Water,
Sound Behaviour,
Animal Collective,
The Vogues,
Carl Craig,
Harpers Bizarre,
Iggy Pop,
Scott Walker,
John Foxx,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Qualms,
Spoonie Gee,
Jeff Lynne,
Moebius,
The Standells,
Erykah Badu,
Throbbing Gristle,
Audionom,
Rakim,
Easy Going,
Scion,
Aural Exciters,
Newcleus,
Peter and Kerry,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Ohio Players,
Brothers Johnson,
the Association,
Sight & Sound,
Nas,
The Human League,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Divine Comedy,
Bob Dylan,
Traffic Nightmare,
The Doobie Brothers,
Charles Mingus,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Sandy B,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Faust,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Altered Images,
Lou Reed,
The Beau Brummels,
New Age Steppers,
The United States of America,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Dave Clark Five, The Dave Clark Five, The Dave Clark Five, The Dave Clark Five.
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.