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 Tunisia and from Manila.
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 1969 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 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 Goldenarms to the crunk 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 The Doors. All the underground hits.
All Simply Red tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ash Ra Tempel record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
These Immortal Souls,
DJ Style,
Lalann,
Gichy Dan,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Lindisfarne,
Reagan Youth,
The Electric Prunes,
Gabor Szabo,
Sister Nancy,
Patti Smith,
Pussy Galore,
Funky Four + One,
The Five Americans,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Cluster,
Joe Smooth,
John Foxx,
The Neon Judgement,
The Sound,
Deepchord,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Gerry Rafferty,
Mantronix,
Roxy Music,
Masters at Work,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Happenings,
Loose Ends,
Von Mondo,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Pere Ubu,
Tubeway Army,
The Cowsills,
Bang On A Can,
Todd Terry,
Ultra Naté,
Fugazi,
Eli Mardock,
Donald Byrd,
Sandy B,
Howard Jones,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Sexual Harrassment,
Ultimate Spinach,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Minny Pops,
Maleditus Sound,
Fatback Band,
Blancmange,
The Dave Clark Five,
Gang Green,
Derrick May,
X-102,
Darondo,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Bobby Byrd,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Moody Blues,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Eric B and Rakim,
Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke.
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.