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 Pakistan and from Tokyo.
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 Houston and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Bang on a Can All-Stars to the grime kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 The Trojans. All the underground hits.
All Freddie Wadling tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every One Last Wish record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a U.S. Maple record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Donny Hathaway,
Can,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
The Divine Comedy,
The Doobie Brothers,
Peter and Kerry,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Zero Boys,
Barbara Tucker,
Das Ding,
Letta Mbulu,
the Association,
Terrestrial Tones,
Anthony Braxton,
Robert Wyatt,
Groovy Waters,
Echospace,
The Wake,
Gastr Del Sol,
Idris Muhammad,
Country Joe & The Fish,
The Techniques,
Skaos,
Throbbing Gristle,
Tommy Roe,
Spandau Ballet,
The Tremeloes,
The Knickerbockers,
Harpers Bizarre,
The Shadows of Knight,
Bill Near,
Young Marble Giants,
Bobby Byrd,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Roy Ayers,
Rhythm & Sound,
Lebanon Hanover,
D'Angelo,
Camouflage,
Jesper Dahlback,
The Cure,
The Pop Group,
Interpol,
Eli Mardock,
The Birthday Party,
Youth Brigade,
Pantaleimon,
Kerri Chandler,
Pylon,
The Gories,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Sällskapet,
Michelle Simonal,
Ornette Coleman,
Ponytail,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Remains,
Wally Richardson,
Roxy Music,
the Human League,
Q and Not U,
Pulsallama, Pulsallama, Pulsallama, Pulsallama.
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.