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 Pakistan and from Shanghai.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 spring reverb 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 T.S.O.L. to the rock 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 Larry & the Blue Notes. All the underground hits.
All Crime tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fat Boys 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Alison Limerick record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Underground Resistance,
June of 44,
K-Klass,
Excepter,
Robert Wyatt,
Au Pairs,
Kevin Saunderson,
Josef K,
Surgeon,
Mantronix,
The Skatalites,
Bang On A Can,
Man Parrish,
Tommy Roe,
Janne Schatter,
Desert Stars,
Monks,
Wings,
Lindisfarne,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Jandek,
The Black Dice,
Rhythm & Sound,
Pulsallama,
Fluxion,
Laurel Aitken,
Amazonics,
The J.B.'s,
The Moleskins,
the Sonics,
Grauzone,
Neil Young,
DJ Style,
Dark Day,
Alton Ellis,
Reuben Wilson,
E-Dancer,
Tom Boy,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Joe Smooth,
Mad Mike,
Gang Green,
Roger Hodgson,
Black Moon,
Liliput,
Livin' Joy,
Brand Nubian,
Lucky Dragons,
Marcia Griffiths,
Rod Modell,
Pylon,
The Gap Band,
Yazoo,
Terry Callier,
Deakin,
Roy Ayers,
Nik Kershaw,
Cameo,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Marine Girls, Marine Girls, Marine Girls, Marine Girls.
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.