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 Micronesia and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1964 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 Bobby Womack to the techno kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 David Axelrod. All the underground hits.
All Joy Division tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric Dolphy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz 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 synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Au Pairs record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eli Mardock,
Prince Buster,
The Birthday Party,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Drexciya,
Cal Tjader,
Marvin Gaye,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Cameo,
Oneida,
The Dave Clark Five,
Subhumans,
Barbara Tucker,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Basic Channel,
Sex Pistols,
Freddie Wadling,
U.S. Maple,
Quando Quango,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Derrick Morgan,
the Slits,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Joe Smooth,
Jawbox,
Susan Cadogan,
Suburban Knight,
Ultimate Spinach,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Eden Ahbez,
June of 44,
Parry Music,
Kool Moe Dee,
Sun City Girls,
Magma,
The United States of America,
Con Funk Shun,
Marshall Jefferson,
Metal Thangz,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Reagan Youth,
B.T. Express,
Skriet,
Half Japanese,
Traffic Nightmare,
Q65,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
The Gap Band,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Bang On A Can,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Pylon,
Hasil Adkins,
Minutemen,
Adolescents,
Juan Atkins,
Crash Course in Science, Crash Course in Science, Crash Course in Science, Crash Course in Science.
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.