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 Nauru and from Johannesburg.
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 1965 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Quantec to the rock kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Pantaleimon. All the underground hits.
All Cecil Taylor tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jesper Dahlbäck record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
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 Grauzone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
8 Eyed Spy,
Graham Central Station,
Rod Modell,
Toni Rubio,
Trumans Water,
OOIOO,
Ronan,
Ralphi Rosario,
Lou Reed,
The Selecter,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Barrington Levy,
D'Angelo,
Loose Ends,
Minnie Riperton,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
The Fortunes,
Joe Finger,
Bizarre Inc.,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
The Happenings,
Delon & Dalcan,
Rotary Connection,
Dorothy Ashby,
Skriet,
The Fugs,
Parry Music,
AZ,
Tim Buckley,
Scratch Acid,
Rosa Yemen,
the Human League,
Amon Düül II,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Index,
JFA,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Niagra,
Matthew Bourne,
Sarah Menescal,
Girls At Our Best!,
CMW,
Lee Hazlewood,
Robert Wyatt,
PIL,
Oneida,
The Remains,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Minor Threat,
Robert Hood,
Lower 48,
Gil Scott Heron,
Guru Guru,
Q65,
Blancmange,
The Associates,
Little Man,
Duran Duran,
Michelle Simonal,
Goldenarms,
Tommy Roe, Tommy Roe, Tommy Roe, Tommy Roe.
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.