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 Portugal and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1966 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 mellotron 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 Livin' Joy to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Bobbi Humphrey. All the underground hits.
All Frankie Knuckles tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Index record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Matthew Bourne record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Agitation Free,
Visage,
Davy DMX,
Ituana,
Brass Construction,
A Certain Ratio,
Magma,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Byron Stingily,
Black Flag,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Five Americans,
MC5,
Bang On A Can,
The Young Rascals,
The Neon Judgement,
Faraquet,
The Shadows of Knight,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Terry Callier,
The Saints,
Jeff Mills,
Yellowson,
Lou Reed,
Nas,
the Sonics,
Roxy Music,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Eric B and Rakim,
Roger Hodgson,
Bronski Beat,
Depeche Mode,
Nick Fraelich,
Joy Division,
Maurizio,
The New Christs,
Drexciya,
The Stooges,
Duran Duran,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Connie Case,
The Pretty Things,
Radiohead,
Blossom Toes,
Hasil Adkins,
T. Rex,
Bluetip,
Deakin,
Scrapy,
The Misunderstood,
Youth Brigade,
Patti Smith,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Ludus,
Newcleus,
Soft Machine,
Minor Threat,
Wire,
Dead Boys,
The Standells,
China Crisis,
Cymande, Cymande, Cymande, Cymande.
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.