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 Iceland and from Portland.
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 1968 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Black Pus to the techno kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Television Personalities. All the underground hits.
All The Dead C tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Mary Jane Girls record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sad Lovers and Giants record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Wolf Eyes,
the Human League,
The Slits,
The Mummies,
Nils Olav,
Colin Newman,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Young Marble Giants,
The Offenders,
Bill Wells,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Rakim,
Little Man,
Johnny Clarke,
Black Flag,
Michelle Simonal,
Massinfluence,
Pagans,
Tim Buckley,
Piero Umiliani,
The Evens,
Dave Gahan,
Hot Snakes,
Public Enemy,
The Gories,
Soft Cell,
the Normal,
Jeru the Damaja,
Morten Harket,
Malaria!,
Cymande,
The Monochrome Set,
Josef K,
La Düsseldorf,
Marshall Jefferson,
Von Mondo,
Fear,
Drexciya,
Deepchord,
Aural Exciters,
Charles Mingus,
The Busters,
Section 25,
Dennis Brown,
Glenn Branca,
Quando Quango,
Dorothy Ashby,
Wally Richardson,
Nico,
Stockholm Monsters,
The Victims,
Sound Behaviour,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Urselle,
Echospace,
Pere Ubu,
Deadbeat,
Symarip,
Icehouse,
Aloha Tigers,
Danielle Patucci,
Prince Buster,
Anakelly, Anakelly, Anakelly, Anakelly.
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.