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 Jamaica and from Philadelphia.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in London.
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 1968 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Copenhagen 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Fluxion to the rap kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Rufus Thomas. All the underground hits.
All The Electric Prunes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Q and Not U 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Derrick May record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
X-101,
Bizarre Inc.,
Lucky Dragons,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Q65,
Arcadia,
Stockholm Monsters,
Slick Rick,
Tubeway Army,
Sandy B,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Robert Görl,
The Fugs,
Radio Birdman,
the Human League,
The Star Department,
Throbbing Gristle,
Brand Nubian,
Procol Harum,
Fear,
Accadde A,
the Sonics,
CMW,
Pierre Henry,
Flamin' Groovies,
The New Christs,
Country Teasers,
The Buckinghams,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Lou Reed,
The Count Five,
Whodini,
The Saints,
Metal Thangz,
Interpol,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Subhumans,
Nas,
Rapeman,
Pharoah Sanders,
Bluetip,
Goldenarms,
Motorama,
Shuggie Otis,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Alice Coltrane,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
The Human League,
Barclay James Harvest,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Main Source,
Brass Construction,
F. McDonald,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Adolescents,
Lee Hazlewood,
MC5,
Wasted Youth,
the Germs,
The Monochrome Set,
Sister Nancy,
Deadbeat, Deadbeat, Deadbeat, Deadbeat.
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.