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 Rwanda and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1964 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Theoretical Girls to the dance kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Circle Jerks. All the underground hits.
All Nation of Ulysses tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bauhaus record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Manfred Mann's Earth Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Star Department,
The Happenings,
Slave,
David Bowie,
Grandmaster Flash,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Ultravox,
Trumans Water,
Slick Rick,
Amon Düül,
Carl Craig,
Von Mondo,
Vainqueur,
10cc,
Boogie Down Productions,
Lebanon Hanover,
Black Flag,
Maleditus Sound,
Wasted Youth,
Oneida,
Bauhaus,
Flash Fearless,
The Monks,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Alphaville,
Laurel Aitken,
Big Daddy Kane,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Cramps,
Shoche,
Babytalk,
FM Einheit,
MC5,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Rekid,
Index,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Can,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
the Germs,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Con Funk Shun,
John Cale,
X-101,
Marine Girls,
The Moleskins,
Clear Light,
Bang On A Can,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Neil Young,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Kaleidoscope,
Basic Channel,
Malaria!,
Traffic Nightmare,
The Move,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Index,
June of 44, June of 44, June of 44, June of 44.
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.