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 Bhutan and from Manchester.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the oboe 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 The Vogues to the crunk 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 Quando Quango. All the underground hits.
All Larry & the Blue Notes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Albert Ayler record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Outsiders record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Fugs,
This Heat,
Gichy Dan,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Oblivians,
Alison Limerick,
Rhythm & Sound,
Bizarre Inc.,
Eli Mardock,
Kerrie Biddell,
Eyeless In Gaza,
K-Klass,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Theoretical Girls,
Lou Reed,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Judy Mowatt,
Newcleus,
Sex Pistols,
Tim Buckley,
Robert Hood,
A Certain Ratio,
Pere Ubu,
Rapeman,
Simply Red,
10cc,
Kool Moe Dee,
Nick Fraelich,
Accadde A,
Visage,
CMW,
Talk Talk,
John Lydon,
Mandrill,
Ossler,
Stiv Bators,
H. Thieme,
Bob Dylan,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Adolescents,
AZ,
The Five Americans,
Fear,
Sun City Girls,
Gerry Rafferty,
Funky Four + One,
Bluetip,
Bill Wells,
Robert Wyatt,
T.S.O.L.,
Gastr Del Sol,
DNA,
The Offenders,
The Saints,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Trojans,
Delta 5,
Subhumans,
Maleditus Sound,
The Index,
The Birthday Party,
Mad Mike,
EPMD, EPMD, EPMD, EPMD.
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.