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 Saudi Arabia and from Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in 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 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 Colin Newman to the punk kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Traffic Nightmare. All the underground hits.
All DeepChord presents Echospace tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Flamin' Groovies record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Divine Comedy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Offenders,
F. McDonald,
Gabor Szabo,
Althea and Donna,
The Velvet Underground,
Soft Cell,
Jerry's Kids,
Yellowson,
Yaz,
Lebanon Hanover,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Ultra Naté,
Todd Rundgren,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Tears for Fears,
The Fuzztones,
Television,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Scratch Acid,
Chrome,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Eli Mardock,
James White and The Blacks,
Bill Near,
Aural Exciters,
Saccharine Trust,
The Tremeloes,
Minor Threat,
Simply Red,
Young Marble Giants,
Eurythmics,
New Age Steppers,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Neu!,
Grey Daturas,
The Dave Clark Five,
Brand Nubian,
Barbara Tucker,
Henry Cow,
Alphaville,
Swell Maps,
Lyres,
Cybotron,
DJ Style,
Black Bananas,
Ituana,
Vainqueur,
Moby Grape,
The Neon Judgement,
Fluxion,
B.T. Express,
The Wake,
The Fortunes,
Agent Orange,
Chris & Cosey,
The Invisible,
the Germs,
Jeff Lynne,
Ponytail,
Alice Coltrane,
Derrick Morgan,
Nik Kershaw, Nik Kershaw, Nik Kershaw, Nik Kershaw.
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.