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 Vanuatu and from Accra.
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 1963 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the linndrum 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 the Human League to the disco kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Ronan. All the underground hits.
All Unrelated Segments tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Skriet record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 güiro and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a F. McDonald record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Japan,
Laurel Aitken,
PIL,
Altered Images,
Supertramp,
Yazoo,
Gang Starr,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Nik Kershaw,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Dawn Penn,
Tears for Fears,
The Victims,
the Normal,
Neu!,
Intrusion,
D'Angelo,
The Leaves,
Kayak,
Kenny Larkin,
James White and The Blacks,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
The Blues Magoos,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Kas Product,
Jimmy McGriff,
Negative Approach,
the Human League,
The Grass Roots,
Gang Green,
AZ,
Desert Stars,
Parry Music,
The Divine Comedy,
a-ha,
Henry Cow,
Terry Callier,
Tommy Roe,
The Dirtbombs,
The Gladiators,
Traffic Nightmare,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Bill Near,
Simply Red,
The Seeds,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Black Dice,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
DNA,
The Barracudas,
Roxette,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Zeros,
Ornette Coleman,
Andrew Hill,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Sarah Menescal,
The Mojo Men,
Rites of Spring,
John Cale, John Cale, John Cale, John Cale.
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.