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 Sudan and from Bologna.
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 1965 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Electric Prunes to the grime kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Nation of Ulysses. All the underground hits.
All Technova tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gary Puckett & The Union Gap record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 an oboe and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sun Ra Arkestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James White and The Blacks,
Depeche Mode,
Gabor Szabo,
K-Klass,
Blancmange,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Beau Brummels,
a-ha,
The Five Americans,
Japan,
Dorothy Ashby,
Can,
Pharoah Sanders,
Niagra,
Sparks,
Soul II Soul,
Heaven 17,
T. Rex,
Skarface,
Gil Scott Heron,
Lee Hazlewood,
Charles Mingus,
Neu!,
Maleditus Sound,
The Names,
The Remains,
Nation of Ulysses,
Matthew Bourne,
Isaac Hayes,
Throbbing Gristle,
Scan 7,
the Soft Cell,
Idris Muhammad,
Pussy Galore,
Maurizio,
X-Ray Spex,
Matthew Halsall,
Basic Channel,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Henry Cow,
Brothers Johnson,
Judy Mowatt,
The Techniques,
Johnny Clarke,
the Sonics,
Make Up,
Fat Boys,
Ronan,
Al Stewart,
Slick Rick,
Mandrill,
the Germs,
Stereo Dub,
Thee Headcoats,
Ossler,
Skriet,
Cabaret Voltaire,
The Flesh Eaters,
Duran Duran,
Barbara Tucker,
The Trojans,
Swell Maps,
Rotary Connection, Rotary Connection, Rotary Connection, Rotary Connection.
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.