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 Tajikistan and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 Holger Czukay 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 Jeru the Damaja to the rock 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 Bill Near. All the underground hits.
All Interpol tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Accadde A record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Grass Roots record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rites of Spring,
Suburban Knight,
Japan,
Soul II Soul,
Throbbing Gristle,
Moby Grape,
Desert Stars,
Royal Trux,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Human League,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Bobby Byrd,
Basic Channel,
Supertramp,
Lou Christie,
Man Eating Sloth,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Schoolly D,
Mars,
The Golliwogs,
Siglo XX,
Skaos,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Spoonie Gee,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Theoretical Girls,
Ituana,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Altered Images,
The Divine Comedy,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
B.T. Express,
Sonic Youth,
CMW,
Iggy Pop,
Boredoms,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Qualms,
The Mighty Diamonds,
L. Decosne,
Eric B and Rakim,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Swell Maps,
Andrew Hill,
Marshall Jefferson,
Prince Buster,
Derrick May,
Visage,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Leaves,
Goldenarms,
PIL,
John Holt,
The Zeros,
Derrick Morgan,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Fire Engines,
The Gun Club,
Mo-Dettes,
Roxette,
The Slackers,
Lyres,
Dead Boys,
Eli Mardock, Eli Mardock, Eli Mardock, Eli Mardock.
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.