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 Guinea-Bissau and from Madrid.
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 1969 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the güiro 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 Severed Heads to the rap 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 The Fuzztones. All the underground hits.
All Spoonie Gee tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Duran Duran record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sister Nancy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gang Green,
The Shadows of Knight,
The Index,
Toni Rubio,
the Human League,
Warren Ellis,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Bang On A Can,
Skriet,
The American Breed,
Fela Kuti,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
The Count Five,
Nation of Ulysses,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Anakelly,
Fatback Band,
John Coltrane,
In Retrospect,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Tim Buckley,
Rod Modell,
Joe Finger,
Das Ding,
Kevin Saunderson,
H. Thieme,
Bobby Byrd,
New York Dolls,
Metal Thangz,
Morten Harket,
Piero Umiliani,
Kas Product,
Scratch Acid,
Tomorrow,
Technova,
Derrick Morgan,
Nico,
Gang Gang Dance,
Arthur Verocai,
DJ Style,
Pet Shop Boys,
Babytalk,
Shuggie Otis,
Radio Birdman,
Eric Dolphy,
Ralphi Rosario,
Al Stewart,
Althea and Donna,
Junior Murvin,
Lebanon Hanover,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Curtis Mayfield,
Sällskapet,
Brothers Johnson,
Monolake,
Theoretical Girls,
Scott Walker,
Laurel Aitken,
Roxette,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Henry Cow,
Bill Wells, Bill Wells, Bill Wells, Bill Wells.
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.