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 Cape Verde and from Paris.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Jerry Gold Smith to the rap kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Delta 5. All the underground hits.
All Archie Shepp tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Television Personalities 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nik Kershaw record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Althea and Donna,
Chris & Cosey,
Minnie Riperton,
The Sound,
Metal Thangz,
Maurizio,
Boredoms,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Swell Maps,
MDC,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Barrington Levy,
Thompson Twins,
Sam Rivers,
Silicon Teens,
Livin' Joy,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Flash Fearless,
Peter and Kerry,
Mr. Review,
Model 500,
Jeru the Damaja,
Rod Modell,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Jerry's Kids,
the Soft Cell,
Public Enemy,
Japan,
The Real Kids,
Ponytail,
Guru Guru,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Country Teasers,
The Modern Lovers,
Eric Dolphy,
The Vogues,
48th St. Collective,
Gichy Dan,
The American Breed,
Nas,
The Sonics,
Ultra Naté,
Avey Tare,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Kaleidoscope,
Rosa Yemen,
Quadrant,
Laurel Aitken,
Lightning Bolt,
Donny Hathaway,
Rhythm & Sound,
Youth Brigade,
Grauzone,
Groovy Waters,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
This Heat,
The Moleskins,
Unrelated Segments,
Pantytec,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Au Pairs, Au Pairs, Au Pairs, Au Pairs.
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.