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 Luxembourg and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in 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 1969 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 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 Mary Jane Girls to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Lakeside. All the underground hits.
All Ash Ra Tempel tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Sheep record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Supertramp record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rakim,
In Retrospect,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
B.T. Express,
The Barracudas,
The Leaves,
Gil Scott Heron,
Bronski Beat,
Gichy Dan,
Y Pants,
The Buckinghams,
Ludus,
the Normal,
Pussy Galore,
Frankie Knuckles,
Delon & Dalcan,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Jacques Brel,
The Selecter,
Joensuu 1685,
Janne Schatter,
Ralphi Rosario,
Traffic Nightmare,
Make Up,
Gabor Szabo,
Cheater Slicks,
Lucky Dragons,
Nico,
Graham Central Station,
Junior Murvin,
Blossom Toes,
New Age Steppers,
Iggy Pop,
Donald Byrd,
Josef K,
DJ Sneak,
Colin Newman,
Eve St. Jones,
Derrick May,
48th St. Collective,
Aswad,
Wire,
Drexciya,
Ten City,
Tubeway Army,
Symarip,
It's A Beautiful Day,
the Soft Cell,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Radiopuhelimet,
Arthur Verocai,
Yellowson,
Sparks,
Boogie Down Productions,
Barrington Levy,
Black Pus,
The Evens,
Ultra Naté,
Cluster,
Echospace,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Leonard Cohen,
Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna.
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.