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 Uruguay and from Madrid.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Bowie show in Bromley.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Wire 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 Idris Muhammad. All the underground hits.
All Swell Maps tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every New York Dolls record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 a clarinet and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Beasts of Bourbon record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Man Parrish,
The Mummies,
The Litter,
Quando Quango,
Nico,
Urselle,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Evens,
Tears for Fears,
Severed Heads,
Adolescents,
Girls At Our Best!,
Lakeside,
L. Decosne,
Jandek,
Dennis Brown,
The Blackbyrds,
Franke,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Metal Thangz,
Donny Hathaway,
Henry Cow,
Fear,
The Searchers,
Alison Limerick,
Thompson Twins,
The Modern Lovers,
Sonny Sharrock,
Camberwell Now,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Golliwogs,
X-Ray Spex,
The Gun Club,
Arcadia,
Roxette,
Aswad,
The Residents,
Graham Central Station,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Music Machine,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Jerry's Kids,
Sarah Menescal,
Oblivians,
Idris Muhammad,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Von Mondo,
Smog,
Robert Görl,
Eric B and Rakim,
Steve Hackett,
Chris Corsano,
Duran Duran,
Nik Kershaw,
Amon Düül,
Sällskapet,
Mars,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Reagan Youth,
KRS-One,
Michelle Simonal,
Gong, Gong, Gong, Gong.
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.