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 Azerbaijan and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Bowie show in Bromley.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Rufus Thomas to the rap kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Joe Finger. All the underground hits.
All Teenage Jesus and the Jerks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bobby Hutcherson 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Technova record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Newcleus,
Camouflage,
Ponytail,
Yazoo,
Young Marble Giants,
The Gladiators,
Minutemen,
FM Einheit,
The Neon Judgement,
The Saints,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Eric Copeland,
the Association,
Ronan,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Peter & Gordon,
Surgeon,
Piero Umiliani,
Fugazi,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Marshall Jefferson,
Wolf Eyes,
Eddi Front,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Delta 5,
Hashim,
Public Image Ltd.,
Sly & The Family Stone,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Susan Cadogan,
Pulsallama,
Gang Green,
the Soft Cell,
The Grass Roots,
The Martian,
Bootsy Collins,
Gregory Isaacs,
48th St. Collective,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Cybotron,
Inner City,
Jawbox,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Icehouse,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
La Düsseldorf,
Crime,
Pere Ubu,
Joensuu 1685,
Deadbeat,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Man Parrish,
Goldenarms,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Black Dice,
Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton.
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.