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 Vietnam and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Buzzcocks show in Bolton.
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 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 marimba 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 Bobby Womack to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Music Machine. All the underground hits.
All Skriet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eden Ahbez 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Alison Limerick record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Glenn Branca,
Mantronix,
Sun City Girls,
The Offenders,
Idris Muhammad,
The Walker Brothers,
Aswad,
Stereo Dub,
The J.B.'s,
Eric B and Rakim,
Lou Christie,
Flash Fearless,
Aaron Thompson,
Joyce Sims,
Scrapy,
Wire,
Yusef Lateef,
Ohio Players,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Joy Division,
Suburban Knight,
Vainqueur,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Shuggie Otis,
Flipper,
Circle Jerks,
Rites of Spring,
the Swans,
Dawn Penn,
Crime,
Dennis Brown,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Johnny Osbourne,
Fugazi,
Babytalk,
Tears for Fears,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Scientists,
The Doors,
Half Japanese,
DJ Sneak,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Supertramp,
Echospace,
Susan Cadogan,
Bad Manners,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Golliwogs,
The Birthday Party,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
Y Pants,
The Electric Prunes,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Jimmy McGriff,
Quantec,
T.S.O.L.,
The Fuzztones,
Slick Rick,
Matthew Bourne,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Maurizio, Maurizio, Maurizio, Maurizio.
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.