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 Singapore and from Taipei.
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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Deadbeat to the jazz 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 Fear. All the underground hits.
All Don Cherry tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Tubeway Army record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 sitar and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Matthew Halsall record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Arthur Verocai,
Pagans,
10cc,
The Monochrome Set,
Rod Modell,
The Golliwogs,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Bad Manners,
Rekid,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Rotary Connection,
Eli Mardock,
Motorama,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Spandau Ballet,
Groovy Waters,
Section 25,
Boogie Down Productions,
Niagra,
The Fuzztones,
Moby Grape,
Robert Wyatt,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Goldenarms,
Clear Light,
Tommy Roe,
Amazonics,
The Slits,
Hashim,
The Detroit Cobras,
Fad Gadget,
Pierre Henry,
Joy Division,
Harpers Bizarre,
Throbbing Gristle,
Cybotron,
Kerri Chandler,
The Busters,
Easy Going,
The Skatalites,
June of 44,
Henry Cow,
Suicide,
Con Funk Shun,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Misunderstood,
Jeff Lynne,
T. Rex,
Q and Not U,
FM Einheit,
New York Dolls,
ABC,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Sarah Menescal,
R.M.O.,
Pussy Galore,
Minutemen,
The Wake,
the Sonics,
Dual Sessions,
Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt.
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.