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 Costa Rica and from Taipei.
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 1966 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Tropical Tobacco to the crunk 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 Lou Christie. All the underground hits.
All Lou Reed & John Cale tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Andrew Hill record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marcia Griffiths record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Tres Demented,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Simply Red,
The Cure,
Dorothy Ashby,
Popol Vuh,
Chris Corsano,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Searchers,
Clear Light,
The Detroit Cobras,
Freddie Wadling,
Japan,
The Blues Magoos,
Gil Scott Heron,
Monks,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Skatalites,
Anakelly,
Radio Birdman,
Yaz,
Henry Cow,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Radiohead,
Liliput,
Negative Approach,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Rotary Connection,
Terry Callier,
The Zeros,
Arab on Radar,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Piero Umiliani,
Banda Bassotti,
48th St. Collective,
Hot Snakes,
Glambeats Corp.,
Spoonie Gee,
Amon Düül,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Jeff Lynne,
Aural Exciters,
Funky Four + One,
Adolescents,
Derrick May,
Man Eating Sloth,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Delon & Dalcan,
The Flesh Eaters,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Unrelated Segments,
The Neon Judgement,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Wolf Eyes,
Oblivians,
Matthew Bourne,
Von Mondo,
The Gap Band,
Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry.
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.