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 Gabon and from Mumbai.
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 1960 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 at the first Suicide practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Leaves to the grunge 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 Tremeloes. All the underground hits.
All Sixth Finger tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Heavy D & The Boyz 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lyres record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Divine Comedy,
Rakim,
The Kinks,
Reagan Youth,
Brand Nubian,
Camouflage,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Youth Brigade,
Barbara Tucker,
Banda Bassotti,
cv313,
Godley & Creme,
Stereo Dub,
Colin Newman,
Prince Buster,
The Count Five,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Angels of Light,
Soul II Soul,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Jawbox,
Clear Light,
This Heat,
Rapeman,
The Gories,
the Sonics,
Kerri Chandler,
Radiopuhelimet,
The Electric Prunes,
Joe Smooth,
The Motions,
Inner City,
Roxy Music,
Mandrill,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Harry Pussy,
New York Dolls,
Brick,
Gastr Del Sol,
Livin' Joy,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Ornette Coleman,
Brothers Johnson,
Byron Stingily,
Crispian St. Peters,
Camberwell Now,
Dead Boys,
Bill Wells,
Amon Düül,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Lou Christie,
Faust,
China Crisis,
The Techniques,
Andrew Hill,
The Detroit Cobras,
John Holt,
Kevin Saunderson,
Ultravox, Ultravox, Ultravox, Ultravox.
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.