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 Nicaragua and from Beijing.
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 1961 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Jakarta.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 The Blues Magoos to the electroclash kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Wally Richardson. All the underground hits.
All Sister Nancy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sandy B record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 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 A Certain Ratio record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lower 48,
Moby Grape,
Spandau Ballet,
Fat Boys,
Los Fastidios,
Althea and Donna,
Vladislav Delay,
Malaria!,
Massinfluence,
Robert Hood,
X-Ray Spex,
the Soft Cell,
Shoche,
The Fortunes,
The Star Department,
Con Funk Shun,
Nico,
T.S.O.L.,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Judy Mowatt,
Supertramp,
June of 44,
Q and Not U,
Clear Light,
Deakin,
Black Flag,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Martian,
John Holt,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Scan 7,
DJ Style,
Soul II Soul,
Negative Approach,
The Tremeloes,
Slave,
Joyce Sims,
Yellowson,
Mandrill,
The Mojo Men,
Dave Gahan,
Cal Tjader,
Flamin' Groovies,
Minutemen,
Prince Buster,
David Bowie,
Infiniti,
Terry Callier,
Qualms,
The J.B.'s,
Ossler,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Mantronix,
Lou Christie,
Loose Ends,
Dennis Brown,
Johnny Clarke,
U.S. Maple,
World's Most,
The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines.
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.