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 Madagascar and from Madrid.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Max Romeo to the grime 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 Bizarre Inc.. All the underground hits.
All Livin' Joy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Maleditus Sound record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Soulsonic Force record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bad Manners,
Lower 48,
the Human League,
Talk Talk,
Soul Sonic Force,
Max Romeo,
Arthur Verocai,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Eddi Front,
Liliput,
Aloha Tigers,
Idris Muhammad,
The Human League,
Schoolly D,
Curtis Mayfield,
Barrington Levy,
Tropical Tobacco,
Gang of Four,
Gang Gang Dance,
Janne Schatter,
The Techniques,
Motorama,
Byron Stingily,
The Names,
kango's stein massive,
Bobby Sherman,
Ten City,
Bill Wells,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Associates,
Ituana,
The Gap Band,
The Index,
Terrestrial Tones,
Youth Brigade,
Joe Smooth,
Cymande,
The Saints,
Urselle,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Rotary Connection,
The Offenders,
The Flesh Eaters,
Avey Tare,
Reuben Wilson,
Sister Nancy,
Spoonie Gee,
Theoretical Girls,
Marine Girls,
Delon & Dalcan,
MDC,
Agitation Free,
Dawn Penn,
The Neon Judgement,
Bootsy Collins,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Lebanon Hanover,
EPMD,
Make Up,
Joe Finger,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Public Enemy,
Sugar Minott, Sugar Minott, Sugar Minott, Sugar Minott.
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.