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 Luxembourg and from Winnipeg.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 1978 at the first Visage practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Stiv Bators to the disco kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Minor Threat. All the underground hits.
All The Fuzztones tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric B and Rakim record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ronan,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Lou Christie,
Michelle Simonal,
Silicon Teens,
The Barracudas,
F. McDonald,
the Swans,
Swell Maps,
Marcia Griffiths,
Anthony Braxton,
Fugazi,
The Zeros,
Pantaleimon,
Jerry's Kids,
Funkadelic,
Lalo Schifrin,
Bush Tetras,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Gang of Four,
48th St. Collective,
Groovy Waters,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Gang Green,
Amon Düül,
Cal Tjader,
the Germs,
Joyce Sims,
The J.B.'s,
Soulsonic Force,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
the Human League,
Lower 48,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Peter & Gordon,
Juan Atkins,
The Selecter,
Roy Ayers,
James White and The Blacks,
The Sonics,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Names,
Laurel Aitken,
Jeru the Damaja,
China Crisis,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Blancmange,
Joy Division,
the Bar-Kays,
The Shadows of Knight,
Tears for Fears,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Sarah Menescal,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Ornette Coleman,
FM Einheit,
Terry Callier,
The Buckinghams,
Aswad,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Stereo Dub, Stereo Dub, Stereo Dub, Stereo Dub.
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.