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 Serbia and from Columbus.
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 1965 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Hong Kong.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Electric Light Orchestra to the rap kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Idris Muhammad. All the underground hits.
All The Fugs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every X-102 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Black Sheep record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Theoretical Girls,
One Last Wish,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Alton Ellis,
Sam Rivers,
Eve St. Jones,
D'Angelo,
Jawbox,
Amon Düül II,
Jacob Miller,
The Monks,
The Flesh Eaters,
Hot Snakes,
Ash Ra Tempel,
the Slits,
Lyres,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Curtis Mayfield,
The Fall,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Mandrill,
John Lydon,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Ultimate Spinach,
Arthur Verocai,
La Düsseldorf,
Pantytec,
Kurtis Blow,
Japan,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Nik Kershaw,
Mark Hollis,
Letta Mbulu,
Fatback Band,
Jeff Mills,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Dave Gahan,
Siglo XX,
Joey Negro,
Joy Division,
Kenny Larkin,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Minutemen,
Radiohead,
Howard Jones,
Gang of Four,
Godley & Creme,
The Dirtbombs,
Chrome,
Sexual Harrassment,
Simply Red,
Interpol,
Whodini,
Flamin' Groovies,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
The Selecter,
Crispy Ambulance,
Subhumans,
Amon Düül,
Wings,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Morten Harket,
Make Up,
Brass Construction,
Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne.
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.