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 Egypt and from London.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 Beijing and Paris.
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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Minnie Riperton to the dance kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Nick Fraelich. All the underground hits.
All Ultra Naté tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Section 25 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Jesus and Mary Chain record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Mummies,
Second Layer,
Pere Ubu,
Guru Guru,
Junior Murvin,
Joyce Sims,
Marcia Griffiths,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Gil Scott Heron,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Fela Kuti,
Radiopuhelimet,
X-Ray Spex,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Index,
Chris & Cosey,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Laurel Aitken,
Television,
Marmalade,
The Real Kids,
Excepter,
Dave Gahan,
Subhumans,
The Gap Band,
kango's stein massive,
Soft Machine,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Warren Ellis,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
X-102,
Sällskapet,
48th St. Collective,
DJ Style,
Avey Tare,
Skaos,
Derrick Morgan,
China Crisis,
Dennis Brown,
Pulsallama,
Deepchord,
Sarah Menescal,
Nas,
Tubeway Army,
Erykah Badu,
Livin' Joy,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Busters,
Chris Corsano,
Johnny Clarke,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Tremeloes,
Black Bananas,
Idris Muhammad,
Byron Stingily,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Harmonia,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Ralphi Rosario,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Roxette,
The Misunderstood,
Urselle, Urselle, Urselle, Urselle.
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.