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 Samoa and from Lagos.
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 Lille and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Heavy D & The Boyz to the funk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Crime. All the underground hits.
All Silicon Teens tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amazonics 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Qualms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
R.M.O.,
Bootsy Collins,
Graham Central Station,
Fatback Band,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Mojo Men,
Yusef Lateef,
Pantytec,
Mad Mike,
The Seeds,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Gang of Four,
The Blues Magoos,
the Normal,
Amon Düül II,
Young Marble Giants,
Barrington Levy,
The Grass Roots,
Procol Harum,
The J.B.'s,
Supertramp,
Black Flag,
The Fugs,
Nico,
Inner City,
F. McDonald,
Buzzcocks,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Associates,
Little Man,
The New Christs,
Gerry Rafferty,
The Last Poets,
The Beau Brummels,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Gang Starr,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Durutti Column,
The Trojans,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Jesper Dahlback,
Second Layer,
Depeche Mode,
Bill Wells,
Johnny Clarke,
Nick Fraelich,
Tom Boy,
The Count Five,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Alice Coltrane,
Chris & Cosey,
The Doors,
David Bowie,
Roxette,
Oblivians,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Pagans,
June of 44,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Juan Atkins,
The Raincoats,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
The Fall,
X-Ray Spex,
Tim Buckley, Tim Buckley, Tim Buckley, Tim Buckley.
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.