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 Guyana and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Model 500 to the electroclash kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Jacques Brel. All the underground hits.
All ABBA tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Patti Smith record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Major Organ And The Adding Machine record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jawbox,
Pet Shop Boys,
Inner City,
Rapeman,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Janne Schatter,
Throbbing Gristle,
Glenn Branca,
Ralphi Rosario,
Main Source,
Ponytail,
Ash Ra Tempel,
China Crisis,
Sarah Menescal,
Jeff Mills,
The Star Department,
Hot Snakes,
Lungfish,
The Monochrome Set,
New Order,
The Stooges,
Blake Baxter,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Make Up,
Davy DMX,
Frankie Knuckles,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Joey Negro,
Matthew Halsall,
Ken Boothe,
Barrington Levy,
The Associates,
One Last Wish,
Wings,
Archie Shepp,
Lucky Dragons,
Deakin,
Thompson Twins,
X-101,
Black Pus,
Technova,
Nico,
Cameo,
K-Klass,
Television Personalities,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Stetsasonic,
The Evens,
Aural Exciters,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Suburban Knight,
Gang of Four,
DJ Sneak,
Magazine,
Visage,
Terry Callier,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Black Flag,
Crime,
Yellowson, Yellowson, Yellowson, Yellowson.
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.