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 Indonesia and from Copenhagen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1969 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Bremen.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the güiro 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 Steve Hackett to the dance 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 Bobby Hutcherson. All the underground hits.
All Quando Quango tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sexual Harrassment 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Gap Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sun City Girls,
Stereo Dub,
The Slits,
Q and Not U,
Anthony Braxton,
Charles Mingus,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Brand Nubian,
Moby Grape,
Suburban Knight,
Negative Approach,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Boredoms,
Carl Craig,
Talk Talk,
The Pop Group,
Man Parrish,
Fear,
Sparks,
the Human League,
Aloha Tigers,
EPMD,
Matthew Bourne,
Ken Boothe,
Radio Birdman,
Minny Pops,
The Dave Clark Five,
Brick,
Average White Band,
The Buckinghams,
Kaleidoscope,
the Slits,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Barrington Levy,
Tim Buckley,
The Count Five,
Siglo XX,
Jerry's Kids,
Television Personalities,
Tres Demented,
Con Funk Shun,
Newcleus,
Harmonia,
John Lydon,
Jeff Lynne,
Sight & Sound,
Anakelly,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Niagra,
Barry Ungar,
Jacques Brel,
Pagans,
The Happenings,
Quadrant,
Spandau Ballet,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Gabor Szabo,
Tommy Roe,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Delon & Dalcan,
Qualms,
Gerry Rafferty,
Subhumans, Subhumans, Subhumans, Subhumans.
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.