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 Malawi and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1962 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 mellotron 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 Dawn Penn to the electroclash 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 The Names. All the underground hits.
All John Holt tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nik Kershaw 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sarah Menescal record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Mandrill,
Quantec,
The Cure,
Judy Mowatt,
The Velvet Underground,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Vainqueur,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
MDC,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Pharoah Sanders,
Intrusion,
The Dave Clark Five,
PIL,
Junior Murvin,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
the Human League,
Terrestrial Tones,
AZ,
Pere Ubu,
Kas Product,
The Pop Group,
Visage,
Half Japanese,
Blancmange,
Silicon Teens,
Technova,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Soul Sonic Force,
Amon Düül,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
World's Most,
These Immortal Souls,
Livin' Joy,
Ronan,
Fluxion,
Ice-T,
Duran Duran,
Sexual Harrassment,
Yellowson,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Public Enemy,
The Standells,
Chrome,
Mary Jane Girls,
Amazonics,
Sixth Finger,
The Electric Prunes,
Mark Hollis,
Eric Copeland,
Mr. Review,
Pagans,
New York Dolls,
Swans,
Faust,
Glenn Branca,
The Techniques,
Gil Scott Heron,
Lightning Bolt,
Fela Kuti,
Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar.
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.