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 Ivory Coast and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Lyon.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 theremin 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 Easy Going to the rap kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. All the underground hits.
All Soft Cell 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 dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Vainqueur record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jawbox,
Pylon,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Quando Quango,
The Durutti Column,
Frankie Knuckles,
Kool Moe Dee,
Agent Orange,
Roy Ayers,
Ultravox,
Boz Scaggs,
Kerri Chandler,
Alison Limerick,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Cameo,
Bobby Sherman,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Jacques Brel,
The Cosmic Jokers,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Accadde A,
Scientists,
Monolake,
R.M.O.,
The Kinks,
The Searchers,
Bronski Beat,
Sam Rivers,
Minnie Riperton,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Nation of Ulysses,
Youth Brigade,
Girls At Our Best!,
Donny Hathaway,
48th St. Collective,
Absolute Body Control,
X-102,
Lou Christie,
Lakeside,
The Trojans,
Interpol,
The American Breed,
Pierre Henry,
Dave Gahan,
Johnny Clarke,
Q65,
Charles Mingus,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Depeche Mode,
PIL,
The Fall,
Little Man,
Qualms,
OOIOO,
The Skatalites,
The Sound,
World's Most,
David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie.
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.