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 Croatia 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 1968 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 The Fuzztones to the grime kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Cabaret Voltaire. All the underground hits.
All 10cc tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Manfred Mann's Earth Band 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pere Ubu record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Whodini,
Newcleus,
Gang Starr,
Eurythmics,
Dead Boys,
Y Pants,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Kayak,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Soul Sonic Force,
Roxette,
Siglo XX,
Andrew Hill,
U.S. Maple,
The Blackbyrds,
The Misunderstood,
The Human League,
Clear Light,
Moss Icon,
Fugazi,
Franke,
Rhythm & Sound,
Byron Stingily,
Magazine,
ABBA,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Blues Magoos,
The Gun Club,
Country Teasers,
Spandau Ballet,
Black Sheep,
Bill Near,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Count Five,
Sparks,
John Lydon,
Young Marble Giants,
Moebius,
Porter Ricks,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Offenders,
Joensuu 1685,
The Martian,
Rakim,
Masters at Work,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Minny Pops,
Pere Ubu,
Freddie Wadling,
Rosa Yemen,
The Tremeloes,
Sex Pistols,
James White and The Blacks,
Intrusion,
The Star Department,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Radiohead,
Erykah Badu,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Funkadelic,
Be Bop Deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe, Be Bop Deluxe.
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.