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 Pakistan and from Bologna.
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 1960 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Section 25 to the jazz 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 The Trojans. All the underground hits.
All The J.B.'s tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lower 48 record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pussy Galore record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Gap Band,
The Trojans,
Althea and Donna,
Nils Olav,
Fatback Band,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Names,
DJ Style,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
KRS-One,
Lakeside,
Kool Moe Dee,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Slits,
Los Fastidios,
Ken Boothe,
Excepter,
Marmalade,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Faust,
JFA,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Alton Ellis,
Gregory Isaacs,
Section 25,
Tres Demented,
Quadrant,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Eric B and Rakim,
Josef K,
Niagra,
Minor Threat,
Black Moon,
Gang of Four,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Matthew Bourne,
Slick Rick,
The Last Poets,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Technova,
Yazoo,
Joy Division,
Pierre Henry,
The Modern Lovers,
The Vogues,
Barclay James Harvest,
Michelle Simonal,
Intrusion,
Tropical Tobacco,
Goldenarms,
The Alarm Clocks,
Aloha Tigers,
Davy DMX,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
The Fortunes,
Avey Tare,
Radio Birdman,
Eddi Front,
Amon Düül II,
The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground.
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.