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 Kenya and from Paris.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 güiro 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 Youth Brigade to the funk 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 Lou Reed & John Cale. All the underground hits.
All Leonard Cohen tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Public Enemy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bobby Byrd record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Colin Newman,
Schoolly D,
Isaac Hayes,
Spoonie Gee,
Bill Wells,
Sandy B,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
New Age Steppers,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Index,
The Selecter,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Ponytail,
Radiopuhelimet,
Slick Rick,
The Trojans,
The Sonics,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
the Human League,
Kerrie Biddell,
Arab on Radar,
Ultra Naté,
Yazoo,
Wings,
Harry Pussy,
The Sound,
John Coltrane,
The American Breed,
Crash Course in Science,
Soul Sonic Force,
Kevin Saunderson,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Warren Ellis,
Althea and Donna,
The Misunderstood,
Swell Maps,
Juan Atkins,
Negative Approach,
Kas Product,
Frankie Knuckles,
Yaz,
Albert Ayler,
Freddie Wadling,
Donny Hathaway,
Roxy Music,
Graham Central Station,
Public Enemy,
Steve Hackett,
8 Eyed Spy,
The Divine Comedy,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Rufus Thomas,
Whodini,
Panda Bear,
Animal Collective,
Kaleidoscope,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Matthew Halsall,
Ohio Players,
The Knickerbockers,
Lee Hazlewood, Lee Hazlewood, Lee Hazlewood, Lee Hazlewood.
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.