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 Colombia and from Lyon.
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 1968 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Lalo Schifrin to the disco kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Justin Hinds & The Dominoes. All the underground hits.
All Pet Shop Boys tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Althea and Donna record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Neil Young record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Delta 5,
Mission of Burma,
Average White Band,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Tommy Roe,
Peter & Gordon,
The Last Poets,
Organ,
Nico,
The Birthday Party,
The Fire Engines,
Newcleus,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Hashim,
The Skatalites,
Zero Boys,
The Stooges,
Brand Nubian,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Moleskins,
Eli Mardock,
Scott Walker,
The Motions,
Kurtis Blow,
Skriet,
Q65,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The American Breed,
Max Romeo,
Matthew Bourne,
Throbbing Gristle,
Letta Mbulu,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Groovy Waters,
Erykah Badu,
Agitation Free,
Yusef Lateef,
Jimmy McGriff,
Sandy B,
F. McDonald,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Marmalade,
Lee Hazlewood,
Tim Buckley,
Junior Murvin,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Oneida,
The Beau Brummels,
Moss Icon,
Dorothy Ashby,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Gang Green,
Soul Sonic Force,
Silicon Teens,
Sonny Sharrock,
The Fortunes,
Mark Hollis,
Oblivians,
Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus.
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.