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 Benin and from Accra.
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 1965 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Funkadelic to the grunge 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 Average White Band. All the underground hits.
All Radio Birdman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Pylon record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 an arpeggiator and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Cluster record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Todd Rundgren,
The Blues Magoos,
Jeff Lynne,
The Names,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Trumans Water,
The Human League,
Lalo Schifrin,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Fugs,
Yaz,
Soul Sonic Force,
AZ,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Knickerbockers,
Harpers Bizarre,
Swans,
Jandek,
Johnny Clarke,
Audionom,
Masters at Work,
Au Pairs,
The Slackers,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Drexciya,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Warsaw,
A Certain Ratio,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Fad Gadget,
Warren Ellis,
Bill Near,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Vogues,
Drive Like Jehu,
Arthur Verocai,
MDC,
Sight & Sound,
Jeru the Damaja,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
World's Most,
Fear,
Banda Bassotti,
Slick Rick,
Alice Coltrane,
Bush Tetras,
Mad Mike,
The Motions,
The Index,
Pharoah Sanders,
Howard Jones,
Eden Ahbez,
Gang Green,
Idris Muhammad,
Bluetip,
Pagans,
JFA, JFA, JFA, JFA.
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.