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 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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Silicon Teens to the dance kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Slits. All the underground hits.
All DJ Sneak tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Moleskins record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 theremin and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jacques Brel record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Doobie Brothers,
June of 44,
Severed Heads,
Fad Gadget,
Black Sheep,
The Evens,
Boogie Down Productions,
Ultra Naté,
The Golliwogs,
Bang On A Can,
Con Funk Shun,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Funky Four + One,
Skaos,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Henry Cow,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Chris Corsano,
Shuggie Otis,
Niagra,
Absolute Body Control,
Althea and Donna,
Tears for Fears,
Don Cherry,
Joey Negro,
Royal Trux,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
F. McDonald,
Dual Sessions,
Lalann,
The Vogues,
Nirvana,
The Shadows of Knight,
Slick Rick,
Alton Ellis,
Tropical Tobacco,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
The Star Department,
Rod Modell,
Zero Boys,
The Names,
Black Bananas,
James Chance & The Contortions,
John Cale,
Pierre Henry,
The Misunderstood,
Connie Case,
The Blackbyrds,
Liliput,
Radiopuhelimet,
Gang Green,
The Remains,
Stereo Dub,
Cheater Slicks,
U.S. Maple,
Sandy B,
Porter Ricks,
Bobby Byrd,
Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield.
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.