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 South Sudan and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in London.
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 1968 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Bobby Hutcherson to the rap 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 Technova. All the underground hits.
All Leonard Cohen tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Fat Boys record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
kango's stein massive,
The Doors,
Anthony Braxton,
Wire,
Agent Orange,
Chris & Cosey,
Blancmange,
Johnny Osbourne,
Carl Craig,
Pierre Henry,
The Selecter,
Gabor Szabo,
Pagans,
Alison Limerick,
Glenn Branca,
The Durutti Column,
The Names,
Warsaw,
The Moody Blues,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
the Swans,
Vladislav Delay,
Sugar Minott,
Gregory Isaacs,
Rekid,
a-ha,
Cheater Slicks,
Archie Shepp,
Jesper Dahlback,
Make Up,
Tropical Tobacco,
H. Thieme,
The Real Kids,
Drexciya,
Masters at Work,
Skaos,
Ken Boothe,
Mark Hollis,
Pantaleimon,
Saccharine Trust,
Bobby Sherman,
Harpers Bizarre,
Crime,
Urselle,
Howard Jones,
June of 44,
Radiohead,
Niagra,
Bob Dylan,
Kayak,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Darondo,
Steve Hackett,
Crooked Eye,
Tomorrow,
Toni Rubio,
This Heat,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Sex Pistols,
John Cale,
Lungfish,
Country Teasers,
Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith.
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.