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 East Timor and from Cairo.
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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 A Certain Ratio to the rap kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Groovy Waters. All the underground hits.
All The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Arcadia record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Godley & Creme record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bush Tetras,
Black Moon,
Al Stewart,
Rhythm & Sound,
Nico,
The Black Dice,
Ice-T,
Lee Hazlewood,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Ohio Players,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
These Immortal Souls,
Hoover,
Urselle,
Iggy Pop,
Sonic Youth,
The Techniques,
Anthony Braxton,
Minutemen,
Tomorrow,
The Divine Comedy,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Judy Mowatt,
Black Sheep,
the Association,
Nik Kershaw,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Girls At Our Best!,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Spoonie Gee,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Stereo Dub,
Tropical Tobacco,
Aural Exciters,
Unwound,
Arcadia,
L. Decosne,
Leonard Cohen,
The Modern Lovers,
Ronnie Foster,
Sällskapet,
Kevin Saunderson,
A Certain Ratio,
Ornette Coleman,
Black Bananas,
DJ Sneak,
Pet Shop Boys,
Das Ding,
Camouflage,
Cymande,
The Searchers,
Clear Light,
The Gap Band,
Godley & Creme,
Arthur Verocai,
Barbara Tucker,
Masters at Work,
Bad Manners,
ABC,
Max Romeo,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
PIL, PIL, PIL, PIL.
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.