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 Kiribati 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 Edmonton and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 chamberlin 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 Black Sheep to the grunge kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Robert Hood. All the underground hits.
All Fort Wilson Riot tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Symarip record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pet Shop Boys record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Doobie Brothers,
Yusef Lateef,
Robert Görl,
Alton Ellis,
Sight & Sound,
Dave Gahan,
The Fugs,
The Smiths,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Newcleus,
F. McDonald,
Chris & Cosey,
The Detroit Cobras,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Von Mondo,
Excepter,
Nirvana,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Accadde A,
Gang Starr,
Grandmaster Flash,
Au Pairs,
Ash Ra Tempel,
The Dead C,
JFA,
Royal Trux,
Cameo,
Danielle Patucci,
Porter Ricks,
Minny Pops,
Second Layer,
Cybotron,
Jimmy McGriff,
Heaven 17,
CMW,
Rakim,
Kerrie Biddell,
the Human League,
Rotary Connection,
Barclay James Harvest,
Arcadia,
Flipper,
Todd Rundgren,
Brand Nubian,
Popol Vuh,
Cecil Taylor,
The Wake,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Andrew Hill,
Ossler,
Donald Byrd,
Michelle Simonal,
DJ Sneak,
Sister Nancy,
The Motions,
Sugar Minott,
Outsiders,
Lindisfarne,
the Normal,
Kevin Saunderson,
Drexciya,
DJ Style, DJ Style, DJ Style, DJ Style.
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.