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 Georgia and from Bremen.
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 1966 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 Chic practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Manfred Mann's Earth Band 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 Black Pus. All the underground hits.
All Can tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Flipper 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Richard Hell and the Voidoids record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The American Breed,
Public Enemy,
Fugazi,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Marc Almond,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Brass Construction,
Brand Nubian,
Wasted Youth,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
In Retrospect,
Davy DMX,
The Young Rascals,
Ossler,
Young Marble Giants,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Hashim,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Johnny Clarke,
Lindisfarne,
Steve Hackett,
Tres Demented,
Boredoms,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Soulsonic Force,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Ronan,
Jeru the Damaja,
Parry Music,
The Wake,
Lalann,
X-101,
Byron Stingily,
Althea and Donna,
Sällskapet,
Oneida,
Malaria!,
The Doobie Brothers,
Altered Images,
Shoche,
The Evens,
Radiohead,
Television Personalities,
Smog,
Urselle,
Black Bananas,
Tears for Fears,
Warsaw,
Lou Reed,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Loose Ends,
Lyres,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Lou Christie,
Iggy Pop,
ABC,
The Motions,
Girls At Our Best!, Girls At Our Best!, Girls At Our Best!, Girls At Our Best!.
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.