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 Costa Rica and from Taipei.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the snare 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 A Certain Ratio to the dance kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Cal Tjader. All the underground hits.
All Neu! tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Skarface record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Chrome,
Audionom,
Camouflage,
The Count Five,
Yellowson,
The Modern Lovers,
Maurizio,
the Slits,
Rhythm & Sound,
Whodini,
Sun City Girls,
Ossler,
Chris & Cosey,
Freddie Wadling,
Organ,
The Beau Brummels,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Popol Vuh,
Ultra Naté,
Tommy Roe,
John Cale,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Guru Guru,
The Smiths,
Gang Starr,
The Happenings,
Faraquet,
Goldenarms,
Newcleus,
Bill Near,
Aural Exciters,
Country Teasers,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Dawn Penn,
Pole,
Schoolly D,
The Victims,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Howard Jones,
Eve St. Jones,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Warren Ellis,
The Five Americans,
the Association,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Duran Duran,
Pulsallama,
Aswad,
Reagan Youth,
The Tremeloes,
Minutemen,
Piero Umiliani,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Cecil Taylor,
A Certain Ratio,
Fad Gadget,
Grey Daturas,
Gang Green,
Johnny Osbourne,
Mission of Burma, Mission of Burma, Mission of Burma, Mission of Burma.
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.