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 India and from Edmonton.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Jesper Dahlback to the punk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Eden Ahbez. All the underground hits.
All Cameo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Spoonie Gee record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
Black Sheep,
Lower 48,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Gregory Isaacs,
the Human League,
Henry Cow,
Barrington Levy,
The Residents,
Deepchord,
Deadbeat,
Harmonia,
The Fall,
Sexual Harrassment,
Terry Callier,
The Monochrome Set,
Gong,
Index,
Amon Düül II,
Blake Baxter,
The Smiths,
Guru Guru,
The Kinks,
Black Moon,
Soul II Soul,
Dennis Brown,
Davy DMX,
Scratch Acid,
Tomorrow,
Procol Harum,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Reuben Wilson,
KRS-One,
Marcia Griffiths,
Ornette Coleman,
David McCallum,
Youth Brigade,
Lalo Schifrin,
Gabor Szabo,
Albert Ayler,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
U.S. Maple,
Ponytail,
Anthony Braxton,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Grauzone,
Boogie Down Productions,
Trumans Water,
Accadde A,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Vladislav Delay,
Pole,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Mary Jane Girls,
Ken Boothe,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Searchers,
Joyce Sims,
Connie Case,
Kevin Saunderson,
Mad Mike, Mad Mike, Mad Mike, Mad Mike.
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.