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 Burundi and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Pet Shop Boys to the funk 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 The Sisters of Mercy. All the underground hits.
All Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Blues Magoos record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Stiv Bators record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
David Axelrod,
Kayak,
Soul II Soul,
The Selecter,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Crash Course in Science,
Laurel Aitken,
Susan Cadogan,
Oblivians,
Visage,
Loose Ends,
Bobby Womack,
The Martian,
Danielle Patucci,
the Slits,
Colin Newman,
Tomorrow,
Index,
The Doobie Brothers,
the Fania All-Stars,
Al Stewart,
Lungfish,
Flamin' Groovies,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Birthday Party,
The Sound,
Television Personalities,
Hot Snakes,
The Kinks,
The Flesh Eaters,
Dennis Brown,
Dawn Penn,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Lucky Dragons,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Andrew Hill,
Sugar Minott,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Maleditus Sound,
The Motions,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Barrington Levy,
48th St. Collective,
The Blackbyrds,
a-ha,
The Monks,
H. Thieme,
The Offenders,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Newcleus,
Kenny Larkin,
Roxette,
Inner City,
Donny Hathaway,
Matthew Halsall,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Moss Icon,
Bang On A Can,
Buzzcocks,
David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie.
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.