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 Burundi and from Bremen.
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 Jakarta and Lagos.
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 chamberlin 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 Goldenarms to the punk 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 Lightning Bolt. All the underground hits.
All The Slits tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dennis Brown record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Minnie Riperton record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Arab on Radar,
Clear Light,
The Mummies,
The J.B.'s,
Alison Limerick,
The Dirtbombs,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Blues Magoos,
Juan Atkins,
Max Romeo,
The Modern Lovers,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Lungfish,
Connie Case,
Delta 5,
The Young Rascals,
Q and Not U,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Metal Thangz,
Nils Olav,
Bauhaus,
The Dave Clark Five,
Big Daddy Kane,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Slackers,
Icehouse,
Maleditus Sound,
Visage,
Derrick Morgan,
Lebanon Hanover,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Kurtis Blow,
Janne Schatter,
Excepter,
June of 44,
48th St. Collective,
Alphaville,
Fugazi,
Ronan,
Dead Boys,
Marshall Jefferson,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Glenn Branca,
Crime,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
ABC,
Supertramp,
The Last Poets,
Hardrive,
Rod Modell,
Gang Green,
the Association,
Mantronix,
H. Thieme,
Accadde A,
The Raincoats,
Fela Kuti,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Andrew Hill,
The Standells,
Bobby Byrd,
Barclay James Harvest, Barclay James Harvest, Barclay James Harvest, Barclay James Harvest.
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.