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 Kiribati and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South 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 1969 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The Martian to the punk kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Hardrive. All the underground hits.
All Jesper Dahlback tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bronski Beat record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Robert Wyatt record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Connie Case,
Bluetip,
Popol Vuh,
Radiopuhelimet,
Drive Like Jehu,
Albert Ayler,
Bauhaus,
Girls At Our Best!,
Franke,
Mission of Burma,
Bad Manners,
New York Dolls,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Star Department,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Aswad,
Los Fastidios,
The Offenders,
The Five Americans,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Jacob Miller,
The Wake,
China Crisis,
Sixth Finger,
Roxette,
Amon Düül II,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Oneida,
The Count Five,
Wire,
Cymande,
Andrew Hill,
the Soft Cell,
Danielle Patucci,
Goldenarms,
The Zeros,
F. McDonald,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Letta Mbulu,
The Associates,
Idris Muhammad,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Moss Icon,
Half Japanese,
The J.B.'s,
The Tremeloes,
Rekid,
Sunsets and Hearts,
DJ Sneak,
Scientists,
Jimmy McGriff,
Flash Fearless,
Maurizio,
Rapeman,
Josef K,
Yusef Lateef,
Quadrant,
The Gun Club,
Althea and Donna,
Circle Jerks,
Eddi Front,
Magma,
Cal Tjader,
Ornette Coleman, Ornette Coleman, Ornette Coleman, Ornette Coleman.
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.