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 Cape Verde and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1973.
I was there at the first Television show in New York.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 snare 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 Donald Byrd to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Roy Ayers. All the underground hits.
All Swell Maps tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Beau Brummels record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Colin Newman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Youth Brigade,
Cameo,
Severed Heads,
Drexciya,
Marine Girls,
Howard Jones,
Cluster,
Pierre Henry,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Dave Gahan,
Ossler,
Fela Kuti,
Janne Schatter,
The Doors,
A Flock of Seagulls,
The Moody Blues,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Fuzztones,
Joey Negro,
Ultravox,
The Beau Brummels,
Donald Byrd,
The Cowsills,
Grauzone,
Bobby Sherman,
Khruangbin,
Bluetip,
Rosa Yemen,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Wake,
X-Ray Spex,
Wasted Youth,
Grey Daturas,
the Association,
Laurel Aitken,
Fatback Band,
Harmonia,
New York Dolls,
Agent Orange,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Swans,
Sister Nancy,
Alphaville,
Rapeman,
Spandau Ballet,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Barracudas,
PIL,
Lakeside,
In Retrospect,
One Last Wish,
The Monks,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Peter & Gordon,
Nas,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
The Moleskins,
Oblivians,
Metal Thangz,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Shadows of Knight,
Angry Samoans, Angry Samoans, Angry Samoans, Angry Samoans.
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.