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 Zimbabwe and from Delhi.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The Leaves to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Soulsonic Force. All the underground hits.
All Saccharine Trust tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kango’s Stein Massive record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Raincoats record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Smiths,
The Victims,
the Swans,
Sällskapet,
Hoover,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Roy Ayers,
Arcadia,
Bang On A Can,
Kas Product,
X-101,
John Foxx,
the Germs,
Jerry's Kids,
The Last Poets,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Animal Collective,
Kerrie Biddell,
Max Romeo,
Skaos,
Ossler,
Lucky Dragons,
Public Enemy,
Duran Duran,
Warren Ellis,
The Tremeloes,
Black Moon,
Mr. Review,
Frankie Knuckles,
Josef K,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
the Fania All-Stars,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Sugar Minott,
Kool Moe Dee,
One Last Wish,
Letta Mbulu,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Matthew Halsall,
The Gun Club,
The Kinks,
Gabor Szabo,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Interpol,
Bobby Byrd,
Barry Ungar,
Rhythm & Sound,
Essential Logic,
Swans,
Make Up,
Marvin Gaye,
Heaven 17,
Adolescents,
Dual Sessions,
the Bar-Kays,
Tubeway Army,
Danielle Patucci,
Barclay James Harvest,
Fela Kuti,
The Remains, The Remains, The Remains, The Remains.
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.