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 Belgium and from Taipei.
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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Rapeman to the grime 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 Skatalites. All the underground hits.
All Das Ding tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Selector Dub Narcotic record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 marimba and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Colin Newman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Techniques,
Jacob Miller,
The Tremeloes,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Doors,
Mission of Burma,
Porter Ricks,
Danielle Patucci,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Divine Comedy,
Thompson Twins,
Kool Moe Dee,
Rotary Connection,
Susan Cadogan,
Throbbing Gristle,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Television,
Hardrive,
Robert Wyatt,
Toni Rubio,
Peter & Gordon,
The Monochrome Set,
Radio Birdman,
Scan 7,
Dorothy Ashby,
The Pop Group,
Soft Cell,
Drive Like Jehu,
Nirvana,
Newcleus,
Radiohead,
Peter and Kerry,
Leonard Cohen,
Audionom,
Liliput,
Moebius,
10cc,
Ossler,
Cheater Slicks,
Archie Shepp,
Minor Threat,
Rapeman,
Johnny Osbourne,
T.S.O.L.,
Excepter,
Sexual Harrassment,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
JFA,
Nas,
John Holt,
The Index,
Harpers Bizarre,
Terrestrial Tones,
Sly & The Family Stone,
The Mojo Men,
L. Decosne,
Black Sheep,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Saccharine Trust, Saccharine Trust, Saccharine Trust, Saccharine Trust.
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.