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 Afghanistan and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in 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 Taipei and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 Captain Beefheart 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 Manfred Mann's Earth Band to the jazz 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 Mad Mike. All the underground hits.
All Mary Jane Girls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sunsets and Hearts record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 marimba and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Janne Schatter record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Sound,
Mission of Burma,
Marcia Griffiths,
Public Image Ltd.,
Altered Images,
Lalo Schifrin,
the Normal,
The Star Department,
Delon & Dalcan,
Surgeon,
The Last Poets,
The American Breed,
Nas,
Sandy B,
Technova,
Flash Fearless,
Johnny Osbourne,
Robert Hood,
Crispian St. Peters,
Archie Shepp,
The Kinks,
Buzzcocks,
Mantronix,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Hasil Adkins,
Circle Jerks,
Chris & Cosey,
Gabor Szabo,
Pole,
the Germs,
The New Christs,
Moss Icon,
Beasts of Bourbon,
The Standells,
Adolescents,
The Sonics,
Neu!,
Terry Callier,
D'Angelo,
The Blackbyrds,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Electric Light Orchestra,
New Order,
John Holt,
Half Japanese,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Alphaville,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Crime,
Wire,
The Tremeloes,
Pharoah Sanders,
Amon Düül,
Mary Jane Girls,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Fugazi,
Visage,
Fifty Foot Hose,
The Human League,
Smog,
Guru Guru,
Goldenarms,
Los Fastidios,
Monolake, Monolake, Monolake, Monolake.
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.