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 Equatorial Guinea and from Accra.
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 1967 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Patti Smith to the funk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Skatalites. All the underground hits.
All The Mummies tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Gun Club 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rufus Thomas record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ash Ra Tempel,
8 Eyed Spy,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Thee Headcoats,
Nation of Ulysses,
Monks,
Bauhaus,
Scion,
Glenn Branca,
Rakim,
The Skatalites,
Laurel Aitken,
the Sonics,
Pussy Galore,
Sexual Harrassment,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Delon & Dalcan,
DJ Style,
Newcleus,
Wally Richardson,
Thompson Twins,
Gichy Dan,
Panda Bear,
Andrew Hill,
David Axelrod,
The Offenders,
The J.B.'s,
Gregory Isaacs,
Minny Pops,
Shoche,
June of 44,
The Modern Lovers,
Q and Not U,
Soft Cell,
Sällskapet,
Jacob Miller,
Public Image Ltd.,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Searchers,
Freddie Wadling,
Shuggie Otis,
Schoolly D,
Young Marble Giants,
Section 25,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Junior Murvin,
The Victims,
Oblivians,
La Düsseldorf,
Lower 48,
Nico,
Japan,
Little Man,
Royal Trux,
Circle Jerks,
Morten Harket,
Jandek,
Aural Exciters,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Warsaw,
Eddi Front,
Dorothy Ashby,
Bill Near, Bill Near, Bill Near, Bill Near.
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.