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 Mongolia and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1961 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Connie Case to the crunk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Lizzy Mercier Descloux. All the underground hits.
All The Modern Lovers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every CMW record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Association record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lightning Bolt,
The Electric Prunes,
Swell Maps,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Blossom Toes,
Soulsonic Force,
Groovy Waters,
Amon Düül,
The Dave Clark Five,
Depeche Mode,
Davy DMX,
Carl Craig,
Lou Christie,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
X-101,
Todd Rundgren,
a-ha,
Make Up,
Charles Mingus,
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Sound,
the Association,
Bobby Byrd,
Boredoms,
Eli Mardock,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Flash Fearless,
Peter and Kerry,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Derrick Morgan,
Spoonie Gee,
Heaven 17,
Jacob Miller,
H. Thieme,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Index,
Audionom,
L. Decosne,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Stereo Dub,
Matthew Halsall,
The Fugs,
Niagra,
Ronnie Foster,
Ultimate Spinach,
Lyres,
Freddie Wadling,
JFA,
Cal Tjader,
Fat Boys,
Chris & Cosey,
The Sonics,
Ice-T,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
the Bar-Kays,
Lalann,
10cc,
Hot Snakes,
The American Breed,
Zero Boys,
Cameo, Cameo, Cameo, Cameo.
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.