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 Cambodia and from Accra.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Circle Jerks to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Tremeloes. All the underground hits.
All Grandmaster Flash tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sight & Sound record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 an oboe and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Last Poets record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes 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 Human League,
Khruangbin,
Danielle Patucci,
Amazonics,
CMW,
Livin' Joy,
Aural Exciters,
Echospace,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
The Cure,
Minny Pops,
Quando Quango,
Flipper,
Amon Düül,
Arthur Verocai,
Television,
The Walker Brothers,
The Cowsills,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Marc Almond,
June of 44,
Ronan,
Albert Ayler,
Organ,
10cc,
Cheater Slicks,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
The Evens,
Average White Band,
Thee Headcoats,
the Slits,
Kas Product,
T. Rex,
The American Breed,
Basic Channel,
Country Teasers,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Davy DMX,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Ituana,
KRS-One,
Kool Moe Dee,
Jacob Miller,
The Skatalites,
Pagans,
Minor Threat,
Tomorrow,
Au Pairs,
Johnny Clarke,
The Kinks,
Qualms,
Drive Like Jehu,
Eden Ahbez,
Yusef Lateef,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Dead C,
Loose Ends,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Connie Case,
Boogie Down Productions,
The Fortunes, The Fortunes, The Fortunes, The Fortunes.
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.