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 Slovakia and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1963 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 June Days to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Lizzy Mercier Descloux. All the underground hits.
All Jeff Lynne tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fad Gadget 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Radiopuhelimet record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Moby Grape,
Rosa Yemen,
Josef K,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Michelle Simonal,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Porter Ricks,
Cybotron,
10cc,
ABC,
Black Bananas,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Bronski Beat,
Heaven 17,
Chris & Cosey,
Glenn Branca,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Blake Baxter,
Oblivians,
Bill Near,
Suburban Knight,
Brand Nubian,
Ituana,
Minor Threat,
Nation of Ulysses,
Moss Icon,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
June Days,
Slave,
Donny Hathaway,
Rhythm & Sound,
Donald Byrd,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Frankie Knuckles,
Arcadia,
Franke,
Young Marble Giants,
James White and The Blacks,
The Tremeloes,
Skaos,
Adolescents,
The Dirtbombs,
Flamin' Groovies,
Neu!,
Scott Walker,
Mantronix,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Inner City,
Altered Images,
Organ,
Anakelly,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Hardrive,
Von Mondo,
Shuggie Otis,
Surgeon,
Bush Tetras,
Johnny Clarke,
Depeche Mode,
Hoover,
Hasil Adkins,
Swell Maps,
Massinfluence, Massinfluence, Massinfluence, Massinfluence.
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.