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 New Zealand and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Bowie show in Bromley.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 oboe 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 R.M.O. to the rock 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 Cymande. All the underground hits.
All Sly & The Family Stone tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ossler record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 an arpeggiator and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Deadbeat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Terrestrial Tones,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
E-Dancer,
Eve St. Jones,
Harmonia,
Eric B and Rakim,
Bronski Beat,
Cal Tjader,
X-101,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Ronan,
The Move,
Ultra Naté,
Newcleus,
Pussy Galore,
Fela Kuti,
Sonny Sharrock,
a-ha,
The Happenings,
Black Sheep,
Dave Gahan,
Rhythm & Sound,
Carl Craig,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Todd Rundgren,
New York Dolls,
Faraquet,
Max Romeo,
MC5,
Niagra,
The Divine Comedy,
The Toasters,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Scott Walker,
The Litter,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Guru Guru,
The Victims,
Stockholm Monsters,
Joey Negro,
Babytalk,
Faust,
Anthony Braxton,
The Young Rascals,
Siglo XX,
The Grass Roots,
Laurel Aitken,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Magma,
Funky Four + One,
Juan Atkins,
Hasil Adkins,
Marmalade,
Dennis Brown,
T.S.O.L.,
Al Stewart,
Radio Birdman,
Model 500,
Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan.
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.