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 Libya and from Johannesburg.
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 1965 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the mellotron 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 Judy Mowatt to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Robert Wyatt. All the underground hits.
All Con Funk Shun tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Iggy Pop 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ohio Players record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Prince Buster,
Soul II Soul,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Liliput,
The Remains,
Gil Scott Heron,
DNA,
Jandek,
Idris Muhammad,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Jerry's Kids,
Icehouse,
Susan Cadogan,
Todd Terry,
Nas,
Eden Ahbez,
DJ Sneak,
Loose Ends,
X-101,
The Toasters,
Godley & Creme,
Eddi Front,
Massinfluence,
The Techniques,
Monks,
Kas Product,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Althea and Donna,
Main Source,
Bobby Womack,
a-ha,
Terry Callier,
Gang Green,
The Saints,
Archie Shepp,
Fat Boys,
The Shadows of Knight,
Sight & Sound,
Accadde A,
Joy Division,
Sparks,
Altered Images,
Kerrie Biddell,
Anakelly,
Kurtis Blow,
F. McDonald,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Sonics,
Delta 5,
Organ,
Slick Rick,
Hot Snakes,
the Soft Cell,
R.M.O.,
Crooked Eye,
Slave,
Sex Pistols,
China Crisis,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Moby Grape,
Henry Cow, Henry Cow, Henry Cow, Henry Cow.
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.