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 Grenada and from Columbus.
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 1964 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 guitar 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 John Coltrane to the dance 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 Lindisfarne. All the underground hits.
All Talk Talk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every 10cc record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marvin Gaye record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
the Human League,
The Star Department,
The Slits,
Flipper,
Gerry Rafferty,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Sound,
the Normal,
the Germs,
Matthew Halsall,
Porter Ricks,
Television Personalities,
Symarip,
The Gories,
Todd Terry,
Absolute Body Control,
The Five Americans,
The Misunderstood,
Infiniti,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Erykah Badu,
Oblivians,
Wings,
The Birthday Party,
Ice-T,
Max Romeo,
Country Teasers,
Main Source,
cv313,
The Fire Engines,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Knickerbockers,
The J.B.'s,
Bill Near,
Black Sheep,
Sister Nancy,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The Slackers,
F. McDonald,
The Fugs,
Tres Demented,
The Raincoats,
Essential Logic,
Blossom Toes,
Ituana,
Robert Hood,
Byron Stingily,
The Velvet Underground,
Joy Division,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Amon Düül,
Nirvana,
Al Stewart,
FM Einheit,
Dorothy Ashby,
Kenny Larkin,
Gil Scott Heron,
Rekid, Rekid, Rekid, Rekid.
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.