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 Tunisia and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1967 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 oboe 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 Thompson Twins to the disco kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 James White and The Blacks. All the underground hits.
All Neil Young & Crazy Horse tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Beau Brummels record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Association record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joensuu 1685,
China Crisis,
Jerry's Kids,
The J.B.'s,
Slave,
Ronan,
Skarface,
Jeru the Damaja,
Gang Green,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
The Invisible,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Organ,
The Music Machine,
Accadde A,
Dark Day,
Black Sheep,
Letta Mbulu,
K-Klass,
Suburban Knight,
Marvin Gaye,
Wire,
the Slits,
Bobby Sherman,
The Pop Group,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
The Grass Roots,
Junior Murvin,
Subhumans,
Cluster,
The Residents,
Jawbox,
Blancmange,
Mo-Dettes,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Television Personalities,
Kerri Chandler,
The Blues Magoos,
Bronski Beat,
The Happenings,
the Germs,
8 Eyed Spy,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Marine Girls,
Thee Headcoats,
The Evens,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Martian,
Electric Prunes,
The Selecter,
The Modern Lovers,
Bad Manners,
Vainqueur,
Flash Fearless,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Nation of Ulysses,
Juan Atkins,
The Flesh Eaters,
MDC,
Cecil Taylor,
Newcleus, Newcleus, Newcleus, Newcleus.
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.