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 Trinidad & Tobago and from Woodstock.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 X-101 to the techno 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 The Red Krayola. All the underground hits.
All Pulsallama tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Teenage Jesus and the Jerks 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mandrill record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Thompson Twins,
The Happenings,
Stockholm Monsters,
Kurtis Blow,
Pere Ubu,
Letta Mbulu,
Shuggie Otis,
Franke,
Godley & Creme,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Fat Boys,
The Dead C,
Barrington Levy,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
New Order,
Black Sheep,
Brass Construction,
Cheater Slicks,
the Germs,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
The Litter,
Cal Tjader,
Mandrill,
Siglo XX,
Lebanon Hanover,
Oneida,
Black Bananas,
The Slits,
Nils Olav,
Nick Fraelich,
Lalann,
Jawbox,
Warren Ellis,
Davy DMX,
Circle Jerks,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Star Department,
X-101,
Pulsallama,
Amon Düül,
Michelle Simonal,
The Black Dice,
The Moleskins,
Jeff Lynne,
F. McDonald,
Rod Modell,
Beasts of Bourbon,
the Swans,
The Busters,
The Fire Engines,
Bill Near,
Vladislav Delay,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Camouflage,
Fugazi,
Easy Going,
Cymande,
Bizarre Inc.,
Arab on Radar,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Clear Light, Clear Light, Clear Light, Clear Light.
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.