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 Yemen and from Halifax.
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 1969 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Royal Family And The Poor to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Deakin. All the underground hits.
All Das Ding tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Radio Birdman 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Thee Headcoats record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
The Alarm Clocks,
The Toasters,
Dennis Brown,
Scott Walker,
Sparks,
Unwound,
Mr. Review,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Leaves,
Cal Tjader,
Nico,
ABC,
Icehouse,
Jeff Lynne,
The Gories,
Drive Like Jehu,
David Bowie,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
T.S.O.L.,
X-102,
Iggy Pop,
The Cosmic Jokers,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Sister Nancy,
the Fania All-Stars,
Slave,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Interpol,
Mad Mike,
Ituana,
The Victims,
Wally Richardson,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Grass Roots,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Sun Ra,
Pere Ubu,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Essential Logic,
Vainqueur,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Sex Pistols,
Cameo,
The Red Krayola,
The Stooges,
Groovy Waters,
Girls At Our Best!,
PIL,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Marc Almond,
The Skatalites,
Aural Exciters,
Robert Wyatt,
Godley & Creme,
Barry Ungar,
Reagan Youth,
Intrusion,
Accadde A,
Eric B and Rakim,
Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef.
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.