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 Norway and from Taipei.
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 1963 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Nik Kershaw to the electroclash 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 Amazonics. All the underground hits.
All Nils Olav tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sparks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 güiro and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nils Olav record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
JFA,
Japan,
Public Image Ltd.,
Scion,
Delon & Dalcan,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Harpers Bizarre,
Stetsasonic,
Livin' Joy,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Technova,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
U.S. Maple,
Adolescents,
MDC,
the Germs,
Panda Bear,
Siglo XX,
EPMD,
Kevin Saunderson,
Gang of Four,
KRS-One,
Moebius,
The Detroit Cobras,
Groovy Waters,
Quando Quango,
Arthur Verocai,
Warren Ellis,
Thompson Twins,
Archie Shepp,
The Monochrome Set,
OOIOO,
The Names,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Soul Sonic Force,
Brothers Johnson,
Idris Muhammad,
The Happenings,
Skriet,
The Selecter,
The Fortunes,
Wally Richardson,
One Last Wish,
Newcleus,
Lou Reed,
Robert Hood,
The Gladiators,
Al Stewart,
Electric Prunes,
La Düsseldorf,
Intrusion,
Lungfish,
David Bowie,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Jacob Miller,
Bootsy Collins,
Surgeon,
Bill Near,
Peter & Gordon,
The Divine Comedy,
Pantytec,
Ten City,
Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith.
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.