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 Czech Republic and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Jakarta.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Animal Collective to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Mighty Diamonds. All the underground hits.
All Angry Samoans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Agitation Free record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mark Hollis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Thompson Twins,
Faust,
Letta Mbulu,
The Modern Lovers,
Blossom Toes,
Vainqueur,
Arcadia,
Sparks,
Minor Threat,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Yusef Lateef,
Joey Negro,
A Certain Ratio,
The Techniques,
The Durutti Column,
Howard Jones,
Sly & The Family Stone,
The Gories,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Aloha Tigers,
Dark Day,
Moebius,
Young Marble Giants,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Gap Band,
The Leaves,
B.T. Express,
Danielle Patucci,
Ludus,
The Angels of Light,
Fugazi,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Quadrant,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Skriet,
Scratch Acid,
Masters at Work,
Simply Red,
Dave Gahan,
The Zeros,
The Dave Clark Five,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Fugs,
Tres Demented,
Arthur Verocai,
Susan Cadogan,
Wally Richardson,
Chris Corsano,
Sam Rivers,
Nirvana,
James Chance & The Contortions,
EPMD,
Rotary Connection,
John Lydon,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
X-102,
Cluster,
The Sound,
Black Pus,
The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men.
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.