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 Rwanda and from Salvador.
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 1967 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Glasgow.
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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the theremin 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 Mr. Review to the rap 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 A Certain Ratio. All the underground hits.
All The Fortunes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Isaac Hayes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Albert Ayler record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Index,
Davy DMX,
The Slits,
Sparks,
Henry Cow,
Kas Product,
the Association,
Tim Buckley,
Jacques Brel,
The Mummies,
David Bowie,
Spandau Ballet,
John Holt,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Cabaret Voltaire,
The Flesh Eaters,
Toni Rubio,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
The Invisible,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Jeff Mills,
Kayak,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Flamin' Groovies,
Colin Newman,
The Cowsills,
The Sound,
Smog,
The Misunderstood,
Morten Harket,
B.T. Express,
Hoover,
Khruangbin,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Boogie Down Productions,
Animal Collective,
The Golliwogs,
MDC,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Arcadia,
Frankie Knuckles,
Johnny Osbourne,
Mandrill,
Oblivians,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Cal Tjader,
Laurel Aitken,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Althea and Donna,
Silicon Teens,
Prince Buster,
New York Dolls,
The Neon Judgement,
The Index,
Erasure,
The Real Kids,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Scratch Acid,
Barbara Tucker,
Jandek, Jandek, Jandek, Jandek.
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.