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 Nauru and from Milan.
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 1964 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Sao Paulo.
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 organ 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 The Martian to the rock 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 Pet Shop Boys. All the underground hits.
All 10cc tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Mighty Diamonds record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Smoke,
The Martian,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Detroit Cobras,
The Vogues,
the Human League,
Faraquet,
L. Decosne,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Grauzone,
Warsaw,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Janne Schatter,
Soulsonic Force,
Aaron Thompson,
Bronski Beat,
Ten City,
The Cramps,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Eden Ahbez,
Kurtis Blow,
Excepter,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Josef K,
Letta Mbulu,
The Black Dice,
The Searchers,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Anthony Braxton,
Boogie Down Productions,
Sam Rivers,
The Sonics,
Q65,
Motorama,
Procol Harum,
Pussy Galore,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Junior Murvin,
The Real Kids,
Charles Mingus,
Throbbing Gristle,
Thee Headcoats,
Sonic Youth,
Gang Starr,
Eve St. Jones,
Sonny Sharrock,
Dave Gahan,
The Doors,
The Fortunes,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Byron Stingily,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Joensuu 1685,
Saccharine Trust,
Stiv Bators,
Bad Manners,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Darondo,
Rhythm & Sound,
AZ,
Babytalk,
Swans,
Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh.
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.