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 Malaysia and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in London.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Royal Trux to the funk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Intrusion. All the underground hits.
All The Detroit Cobras tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eyeless In Gaza 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Louis and Bebe Barron record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Steve Hackett,
Qualms,
X-Ray Spex,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Skatalites,
Mary Jane Girls,
the Slits,
Fad Gadget,
Arthur Verocai,
Brick,
Radiohead,
Theoretical Girls,
The Saints,
Organ,
Byron Stingily,
Derrick May,
Marcia Griffiths,
Bill Near,
Saccharine Trust,
the Bar-Kays,
Adolescents,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Kevin Saunderson,
Malaria!,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Slave,
Jawbox,
Tim Buckley,
Soft Cell,
Gil Scott Heron,
Icehouse,
DJ Sneak,
Radiopuhelimet,
Bizarre Inc.,
8 Eyed Spy,
Skriet,
Ultravox,
The Moleskins,
Soulsonic Force,
Babytalk,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Pet Shop Boys,
Jeru the Damaja,
Yazoo,
The Victims,
Fugazi,
Groovy Waters,
Excepter,
Talk Talk,
The Leaves,
Cameo,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
The Blackbyrds,
Susan Cadogan,
The Toasters,
The Count Five,
Motorama,
Loose Ends,
Second Layer,
Eurythmics,
Bad Manners,
Wally Richardson,
Kenny Larkin,
Buzzcocks,
Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants.
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.