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 Cuba and from Delhi.
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 1961 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 FM Einheit to the dance kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Tropical Tobacco. All the underground hits.
All Derrick May tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jawbox record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 güiro and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Be Bop Deluxe record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Flesh Eaters,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
The Alarm Clocks,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Von Mondo,
Rakim,
Pere Ubu,
Popol Vuh,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Johnny Osbourne,
Kerrie Biddell,
Trumans Water,
Stockholm Monsters,
Joe Smooth,
Agent Orange,
Donny Hathaway,
The Vogues,
Banda Bassotti,
The Leaves,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Marvin Gaye,
The Five Americans,
The Doobie Brothers,
Tomorrow,
Parry Music,
Mo-Dettes,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Lebanon Hanover,
Monolake,
The Angels of Light,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Cheater Slicks,
Amon Düül,
Liliput,
The Real Kids,
Lower 48,
Gang Starr,
Frankie Knuckles,
Bluetip,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
La Düsseldorf,
The Gap Band,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Los Fastidios,
Matthew Bourne,
Graham Central Station,
Spoonie Gee,
Al Stewart,
These Immortal Souls,
Alton Ellis,
Quantec,
The Techniques,
Avey Tare,
Animal Collective,
The Skatalites,
Jesper Dahlback,
Brass Construction,
The Fortunes,
Robert Görl,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Boz Scaggs,
Model 500,
Wings,
Cymande, Cymande, Cymande, Cymande.
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.