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 Syria and from Manchester.
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 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Stetsasonic to the grime kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Dirtbombs. All the underground hits.
All Camouflage tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Teenage Jesus and the Jerks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 linndrum and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Alison Limerick record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Donald Byrd,
Deakin,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
UT,
Mandrill,
The Vogues,
Robert Wyatt,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Accadde A,
Ultra Naté,
Amon Düül,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Underground Resistance,
The Happenings,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Bronski Beat,
Gang Starr,
Lungfish,
Franke,
Roger Hodgson,
PIL,
Bobby Womack,
Steve Hackett,
Babytalk,
Fela Kuti,
The Sonics,
Buzzcocks,
Make Up,
Parry Music,
Soft Cell,
Jerry's Kids,
Tomorrow,
Chris Corsano,
Terrestrial Tones,
Scratch Acid,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Fatback Band,
Wings,
Pere Ubu,
Stockholm Monsters,
Ten City,
Roy Ayers,
Carl Craig,
Thee Headcoats,
Oneida,
The Motions,
The Monks,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Public Image Ltd.,
John Lydon,
The Tremeloes,
Yaz,
Q65,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Tears for Fears,
Niagra,
La Düsseldorf,
Warren Ellis,
Fifty Foot Hose,
the Normal,
Y Pants,
Crispian St. Peters,
Derrick May, Derrick May, Derrick May, Derrick May.
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.