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 Norway and from Jakarta.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 güiro 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 Warren Ellis to the rap kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Offenders. All the underground hits.
All Warsaw tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Donald Byrd 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lafayette Afro Rock Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eric B and Rakim,
Glambeats Corp.,
the Bar-Kays,
Danielle Patucci,
Popol Vuh,
Organ,
Barbara Tucker,
Gerry Rafferty,
Oblivians,
Mad Mike,
Smog,
Quadrant,
Kerrie Biddell,
The Golliwogs,
Thompson Twins,
Warsaw,
Max Romeo,
Brass Construction,
Amon Düül II,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
10cc,
Lower 48,
Vladislav Delay,
Bobby Womack,
L. Decosne,
The Pretty Things,
Rapeman,
New Order,
Suburban Knight,
Main Source,
Moss Icon,
Bauhaus,
the Soft Cell,
Derrick May,
Lalann,
The Five Americans,
Warren Ellis,
Sonny Sharrock,
Eli Mardock,
The Busters,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Aaron Thompson,
D'Angelo,
Basic Channel,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
ABC,
Quantec,
The Alarm Clocks,
The Young Rascals,
Bronski Beat,
Rosa Yemen,
Oneida,
Lee Hazlewood,
Lucky Dragons,
Maurizio,
Blancmange,
Tres Demented,
Inner City,
Prince Buster,
Youth Brigade,
Liliput, Liliput, Liliput, Liliput.
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.