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 Nauru and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Mandrill to the rock kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Siglo XX. All the underground hits.
All James Chance & The Contortions tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gregory Isaacs record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pagans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Negative Approach,
Leonard Cohen,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The United States of America,
Surgeon,
Tres Demented,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Piero Umiliani,
Isaac Hayes,
Donald Byrd,
New York Dolls,
Infiniti,
Dawn Penn,
One Last Wish,
Throbbing Gristle,
Gil Scott Heron,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
The Durutti Column,
Kas Product,
Stiv Bators,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Au Pairs,
Soul II Soul,
Amazonics,
Rapeman,
Suicide,
Main Source,
Dark Day,
Drive Like Jehu,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Jeru the Damaja,
Bobby Byrd,
Alice Coltrane,
The Young Rascals,
Gang Green,
Soul Sonic Force,
Cameo,
Supertramp,
Panda Bear,
Cymande,
JFA,
Deakin,
David McCallum,
Gerry Rafferty,
ABBA,
Jeff Mills,
Television Personalities,
Sixth Finger,
The Raincoats,
The Gap Band,
Pere Ubu,
The Cowsills,
ABC,
Smog,
These Immortal Souls,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Roxy Music,
Tim Buckley,
Bobby Sherman,
Swell Maps,
Marshall Jefferson,
Be Bop Deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe.
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.