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 Singapore and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson 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 Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. All the underground hits.
All The Modern Lovers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Larry & the Blue Notes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a La Düsseldorf record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Black Flag,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Toni Rubio,
Sam Rivers,
The American Breed,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Ludus,
The Moleskins,
Gang of Four,
The Flesh Eaters,
Roxy Music,
Joey Negro,
Ultra Naté,
The Slits,
Oblivians,
Anakelly,
Boredoms,
Fear,
The Vogues,
Jacques Brel,
Eve St. Jones,
Urselle,
David Bowie,
The Star Department,
Bob Dylan,
The Durutti Column,
Derrick May,
Pole,
Radiopuhelimet,
The Last Poets,
Howard Jones,
Nils Olav,
Yaz,
Crispian St. Peters,
Fluxion,
Model 500,
R.M.O.,
Supertramp,
Television Personalities,
June of 44,
Yusef Lateef,
E-Dancer,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Danielle Patucci,
Fatback Band,
Negative Approach,
Pagans,
Sunsets and Hearts,
the Association,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Cheater Slicks,
Jeff Lynne,
The Cowsills,
The Music Machine,
Scan 7,
Crime,
Trumans Water,
The Barracudas,
Connie Case,
the Soft Cell,
Minnie Riperton,
Jacob Miller,
Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt.
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.