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 St Lucia and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 Captain Beefheart 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 Colin Newman to the rock kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Liliput. All the underground hits.
All Reuben Wilson tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Davy DMX 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gil Scott Heron record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Urselle,
The Moleskins,
Harry Pussy,
The Mummies,
Maurizio,
Ituana,
Stockholm Monsters,
MC5,
Crispian St. Peters,
E-Dancer,
Isaac Hayes,
Franke,
Mantronix,
Danielle Patucci,
Eric B and Rakim,
Scientists,
Letta Mbulu,
Erykah Badu,
Wolf Eyes,
Joensuu 1685,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Dead C,
cv313,
Johnny Osbourne,
kango's stein massive,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Vogues,
Flipper,
Eli Mardock,
Vladislav Delay,
Rosa Yemen,
Chris & Cosey,
The Golliwogs,
The Saints,
Joe Finger,
Fear,
Patti Smith,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Hasil Adkins,
Morten Harket,
Judy Mowatt,
Altered Images,
The Real Kids,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
A Certain Ratio,
Suburban Knight,
Hardrive,
Crime,
Peter and Kerry,
Sixth Finger,
Kerrie Biddell,
Monolake,
Radiopuhelimet,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Tom Boy,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Nils Olav,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
One Last Wish, One Last Wish, One Last Wish, One Last Wish.
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.