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 Palau and from Lagos.
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 1960 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1978 at the first Visage practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Chris Corsano to the rock kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Ponytail. All the underground hits.
All Gang Gang Dance tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Skatalites 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Surgeon record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Black Sheep,
Fear,
Skaos,
The Gories,
Spandau Ballet,
Man Parrish,
Harpers Bizarre,
Scratch Acid,
Connie Case,
The Victims,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Tommy Roe,
Desert Stars,
Television,
Josef K,
World's Most,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
the Association,
Vainqueur,
Lebanon Hanover,
Fluxion,
Easy Going,
Fatback Band,
Roxy Music,
The Barracudas,
The Monochrome Set,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Juan Atkins,
Kayak,
Y Pants,
Masters at Work,
Nas,
John Lydon,
Ludus,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Jawbox,
Radio Birdman,
Soft Cell,
Pet Shop Boys,
John Holt,
The Modern Lovers,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Magazine,
Marshall Jefferson,
Minnie Riperton,
Pere Ubu,
The Associates,
Sandy B,
Mo-Dettes,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Babytalk,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Matthew Bourne,
Amon Düül II,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
June of 44,
Black Moon,
Arcadia,
Drexciya,
Dennis Brown,
The Saints,
Avey Tare, Avey Tare, Avey Tare, Avey Tare.
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.