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 Vanuatu and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Winnipeg.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 to the rock 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 Jimmy McGriff. All the underground hits.
All Traffic Nightmare tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ajijia Myrayebe 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Delta 5 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Five Americans,
Minny Pops,
Alison Limerick,
Arthur Verocai,
John Cale,
Scan 7,
The Index,
The Slackers,
The Blackbyrds,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
New York Dolls,
The Durutti Column,
The Fugs,
Bootsy Collins,
Slave,
Accadde A,
Lebanon Hanover,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The Slits,
Andrew Hill,
The Offenders,
Jacob Miller,
World's Most,
The United States of America,
Joyce Sims,
Deakin,
Malaria!,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
DJ Sneak,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Delta 5,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Glenn Branca,
KRS-One,
Drexciya,
The Vogues,
The Birthday Party,
Crime,
Soulsonic Force,
The Victims,
Ludus,
David McCallum,
Ultimate Spinach,
Michelle Simonal,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Marc Almond,
Pulsallama,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Dead Boys,
Cymande,
Aural Exciters,
Robert Görl,
Johnny Osbourne,
Gang of Four,
Eve St. Jones,
Kerri Chandler,
Donald Byrd,
Eric B and Rakim,
Newcleus,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
the Normal,
Scratch Acid,
Godley & Creme,
Hardrive, Hardrive, Hardrive, Hardrive.
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.