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 Bangladesh and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise 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 1960 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Cal Tjader to the dance kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Selector Dub Narcotic. All the underground hits.
All Sun Ra Arkestra tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Tears for Fears record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Gories record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Blackbyrds,
Chris & Cosey,
The Divine Comedy,
The Fire Engines,
Yazoo,
F. McDonald,
Nik Kershaw,
Derrick Morgan,
Oblivians,
The Star Department,
ABBA,
The Martian,
La Düsseldorf,
Sonic Youth,
Panda Bear,
Freddie Wadling,
Shuggie Otis,
Severed Heads,
Popol Vuh,
Subhumans,
Jeff Lynne,
Drive Like Jehu,
Godley & Creme,
The Techniques,
E-Dancer,
Joy Division,
Suburban Knight,
Das Ding,
the Germs,
Newcleus,
The Zeros,
Negative Approach,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
48th St. Collective,
The Detroit Cobras,
Supertramp,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Roger Hodgson,
Goldenarms,
Unrelated Segments,
Eric B and Rakim,
Glenn Branca,
The Remains,
Livin' Joy,
Lightning Bolt,
Sarah Menescal,
Cal Tjader,
Audionom,
The Trojans,
the Human League,
Sound Behaviour,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Ultravox,
Silicon Teens,
Minor Threat,
Gichy Dan,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Buckinghams,
Pantaleimon,
Lebanon Hanover,
Deadbeat,
Amon Düül II, Amon Düül II, Amon Düül II, Amon Düül II.
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.