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 Serbia and from Madrid.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the 808 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 Skatalites to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Leaves. All the underground hits.
All Vaughan Mason & Crew tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Cosmic Jokers 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Frankie Knuckles record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rotary Connection,
The Red Krayola,
Piero Umiliani,
the Slits,
The Fire Engines,
Buzzcocks,
Rites of Spring,
Gil Scott Heron,
Accadde A,
New Age Steppers,
Scott Walker,
Index,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Drive Like Jehu,
Suburban Knight,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Stereo Dub,
the Human League,
Bad Manners,
Clear Light,
A Certain Ratio,
Tears for Fears,
Television Personalities,
The United States of America,
Can,
Mr. Review,
Idris Muhammad,
Ultra Naté,
Kevin Saunderson,
Hasil Adkins,
Marmalade,
Carl Craig,
Barbara Tucker,
Ohio Players,
Adolescents,
Cheater Slicks,
Swans,
Moby Grape,
Faust,
The Gories,
The Human League,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Grey Daturas,
Jacob Miller,
The Gun Club,
Circle Jerks,
The Cramps,
The Last Poets,
LL Cool J,
Altered Images,
Aloha Tigers,
Masters at Work,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Reuben Wilson,
Y Pants,
Eric B and Rakim,
Nico,
The New Christs,
Barrington Levy,
Cameo,
The Dirtbombs,
Crooked Eye, Crooked Eye, Crooked Eye, Crooked Eye.
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.