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 Sweden and from Tokyo.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Paris.
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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Hasil Adkins to the disco 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 Pulsallama. All the underground hits.
All Sister Nancy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gong record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mission of Burma record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lalo Schifrin,
Todd Rundgren,
The Happenings,
Sam Rivers,
The Move,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
The Durutti Column,
Henry Cow,
Technova,
The Invisible,
Throbbing Gristle,
Yellowson,
Donny Hathaway,
The Neon Judgement,
One Last Wish,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Hoover,
Leonard Cohen,
Fela Kuti,
Funkadelic,
Niagra,
The Human League,
Tears for Fears,
Mission of Burma,
The Fuzztones,
Skaos,
Mandrill,
Can,
The Searchers,
Michelle Simonal,
Glambeats Corp.,
Fear,
Radiopuhelimet,
Black Bananas,
Avey Tare,
The Detroit Cobras,
the Slits,
Guru Guru,
Gang of Four,
Half Japanese,
The New Christs,
Yaz,
Freddie Wadling,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Sällskapet,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
China Crisis,
The Stooges,
Mark Hollis,
Susan Cadogan,
Brick,
Depeche Mode,
The American Breed,
Mo-Dettes,
Johnny Clarke,
June of 44,
The Angels of Light,
Pantytec,
Juan Atkins,
Liliput,
The Wake,
Agent Orange,
Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül.
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.