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 Israel and from Taipei.
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 1961 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 The Vogues to the grime kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Babytalk. All the underground hits.
All Albert Ayler tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Liaisons Dangereuses record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 linndrum and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Strawberry Alarm Clock record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Echospace,
The Music Machine,
Visage,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Byron Stingily,
Metal Thangz,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
It's A Beautiful Day,
UT,
Pet Shop Boys,
Black Pus,
The Real Kids,
The Toasters,
The Gap Band,
Babytalk,
X-102,
Smog,
Infiniti,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Pantaleimon,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Jawbox,
Altered Images,
Ice-T,
10cc,
Graham Central Station,
JFA,
Cymande,
Archie Shepp,
June of 44,
DJ Sneak,
Bobby Sherman,
Camouflage,
The Happenings,
The Birthday Party,
Maleditus Sound,
Dave Gahan,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Slave,
Steve Hackett,
Roger Hodgson,
Warren Ellis,
Public Image Ltd.,
Organ,
Black Moon,
Swans,
Television,
Carl Craig,
Grey Daturas,
The Raincoats,
Skarface,
Country Teasers,
Boredoms,
Absolute Body Control,
New Age Steppers,
LL Cool J,
Tears for Fears,
kango's stein massive,
F. McDonald,
Black Flag, Black Flag, Black Flag, Black Flag.
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.