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 Lithuania and from Beijing.
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 1967 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Lyon.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Kerri Chandler to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Nik Kershaw. All the underground hits.
All Camouflage tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Chris Corsano 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Germs record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Guru Guru,
Soul II Soul,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
OOIOO,
Outsiders,
Derrick May,
Wire,
Kenny Larkin,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
ABC,
The Stooges,
Pantytec,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Chrome,
Vladislav Delay,
Can,
Barclay James Harvest,
Black Flag,
Magazine,
Delta 5,
Girls At Our Best!,
Ultimate Spinach,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Nation of Ulysses,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
John Cale,
Accadde A,
Niagra,
Bang On A Can,
Bob Dylan,
Juan Atkins,
Eyeless In Gaza,
the Human League,
Chris & Cosey,
Hot Snakes,
Von Mondo,
Darondo,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Alice Coltrane,
Angry Samoans,
The Last Poets,
Mr. Review,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Joe Smooth,
Fela Kuti,
Jesper Dahlback,
B.T. Express,
Procol Harum,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Tubeway Army,
Robert Wyatt,
The Sisters of Mercy,
the Association,
The Doors,
Inner City,
La Düsseldorf,
Ice-T,
The Monks,
Jawbox,
Albert Ayler,
Pulsallama, Pulsallama, Pulsallama, Pulsallama.
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.