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 Netherlands and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Joensuu 1685 to the rock kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 PIL. All the underground hits.
All Circle Jerks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every One Last Wish 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mad Mike record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lindisfarne,
Silicon Teens,
Althea and Donna,
Lalo Schifrin,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Pet Shop Boys,
Warren Ellis,
The Monks,
Scratch Acid,
James White and The Blacks,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Subhumans,
Jandek,
Rekid,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
the Sonics,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Spandau Ballet,
Infiniti,
Stockholm Monsters,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Lyres,
L. Decosne,
Rod Modell,
Masters at Work,
Lalann,
Hardrive,
Pagans,
Harmonia,
Tomorrow,
Model 500,
Derrick Morgan,
Negative Approach,
The Slackers,
Mark Hollis,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Man Parrish,
Sandy B,
Marcia Griffiths,
Lower 48,
The Durutti Column,
Desert Stars,
Reuben Wilson,
ABC,
Junior Murvin,
Babytalk,
Mad Mike,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Cymande,
Graham Central Station,
Eurythmics,
Eddi Front,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Charles Mingus,
Simply Red,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Stereo Dub,
Archie Shepp,
Al Stewart,
Avey Tare,
T.S.O.L.,
Kenny Larkin, Kenny Larkin, Kenny Larkin, Kenny Larkin.
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.