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 Ghana and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 Shanghai and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 marimba 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 Amon Düül II to the techno 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 Johnny Osbourne. All the underground hits.
All Angry Samoans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Piero Umiliani record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a This Heat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Electric Light Orchestra,
Negative Approach,
Faust,
Con Funk Shun,
Gerry Rafferty,
the Human League,
Royal Trux,
Bang On A Can,
Chrome,
Soulsonic Force,
Electric Prunes,
Suicide,
The Smiths,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Anthony Braxton,
F. McDonald,
The Electric Prunes,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Pagans,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Moss Icon,
the Slits,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
John Foxx,
Blake Baxter,
Skriet,
Liliput,
Animal Collective,
Rapeman,
Ice-T,
The Misunderstood,
Eden Ahbez,
The Gun Club,
Kenny Larkin,
Fad Gadget,
Blancmange,
Stereo Dub,
Unwound,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
CMW,
Sugar Minott,
Ossler,
Can,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Main Source,
Sonny Sharrock,
Bluetip,
Gastr Del Sol,
The Names,
U.S. Maple,
Radiopuhelimet,
Swell Maps,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Basic Channel,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Delon & Dalcan,
Clear Light,
Zapp,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Colin Newman,
Oneida,
Angry Samoans,
Ken Boothe, Ken Boothe, Ken Boothe, Ken Boothe.
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.