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 Kenya and from Lagos.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Manchester.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the guitar 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 Alice Coltrane to the rap 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 Hoover. All the underground hits.
All London Community Gospel Choir tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Skatalites record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Smog record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Mighty Diamonds,
Alice Coltrane,
Massinfluence,
The Monochrome Set,
Television,
The Offenders,
the Bar-Kays,
Lyres,
Erasure,
Sällskapet,
Gang Green,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Mo-Dettes,
Charles Mingus,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Vogues,
Cecil Taylor,
Fela Kuti,
Fluxion,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Joy Division,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Qualms,
Joensuu 1685,
Tres Demented,
R.M.O.,
The United States of America,
The Star Department,
Jimmy McGriff,
Pantytec,
48th St. Collective,
Godley & Creme,
Chris Corsano,
Letta Mbulu,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
10cc,
Country Joe & The Fish,
The Slackers,
The Standells,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Harry Pussy,
Nils Olav,
The Tremeloes,
Crime,
Visage,
Arcadia,
Mary Jane Girls,
The Moleskins,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Sonic Youth,
OOIOO,
Porter Ricks,
Eve St. Jones,
Masters at Work,
Bauhaus,
Aaron Thompson,
Steve Hackett,
Boredoms,
This Heat,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
The Associates,
Johnny Osbourne, Johnny Osbourne, Johnny Osbourne, Johnny Osbourne.
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.