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 Mali and from Calgary.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South 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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Stooges to the punk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Johnny Clarke. All the underground hits.
All Eurythmics tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Velvet Underground 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Zeros record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Terry Callier,
ABBA,
The Count Five,
Amon Düül,
The Busters,
The Cramps,
Rosa Yemen,
Scion,
Agitation Free,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Juan Atkins,
Judy Mowatt,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Motorama,
Ten City,
Theoretical Girls,
The Motions,
Minnie Riperton,
E-Dancer,
Maleditus Sound,
Spoonie Gee,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Stetsasonic,
The Fuzztones,
Slick Rick,
Aaron Thompson,
Traffic Nightmare,
H. Thieme,
The Gories,
Siglo XX,
Soft Machine,
Qualms,
Minutemen,
Kayak,
Glenn Branca,
the Normal,
The Dead C,
The Techniques,
the Germs,
Quadrant,
Rapeman,
Harpers Bizarre,
Pantaleimon,
The Black Dice,
Gastr Del Sol,
Skriet,
Erykah Badu,
Quando Quango,
Nils Olav,
Grey Daturas,
Althea and Donna,
Joe Smooth,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Tears for Fears,
Michelle Simonal,
T. Rex,
Davy DMX,
Mad Mike,
Von Mondo,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
China Crisis,
Metal Thangz,
Josef K, Josef K, Josef K, Josef K.
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.