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 Kuwait and from Spokane.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 organ 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 John Holt to the rap 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 Gang Green. All the underground hits.
All a-ha tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Minnie Riperton 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Talk Talk record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Glenn Branca,
Peter and Kerry,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Half Japanese,
Minutemen,
The J.B.'s,
Eric Copeland,
The Index,
MDC,
Cheater Slicks,
PIL,
Gichy Dan,
Au Pairs,
Patti Smith,
Godley & Creme,
Soft Cell,
The Fire Engines,
Nils Olav,
The Birthday Party,
Marshall Jefferson,
Joe Smooth,
Avey Tare,
Spoonie Gee,
Fela Kuti,
Siglo XX,
The Gories,
Mad Mike,
Pagans,
Kevin Saunderson,
Erykah Badu,
Aaron Thompson,
Television Personalities,
Sister Nancy,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Duran Duran,
Chris Corsano,
Niagra,
Johnny Clarke,
Whodini,
cv313,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Royal Trux,
Skarface,
The Pop Group,
Nik Kershaw,
Colin Newman,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
AZ,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Doors,
The Stooges,
The American Breed,
The Busters,
Von Mondo,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Roxy Music,
Alison Limerick,
The Modern Lovers,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Amon Düül II,
Yusef Lateef,
The Gladiators, The Gladiators, The Gladiators, The Gladiators.
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.