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 Tunisia and from Philadelphia.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Josef K show in Edinburgh.
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 1968 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Tim Buckley to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Scratch Acid. All the underground hits.
All Pole tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Gladiators 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a James White and The Blacks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Yaz,
Bobby Sherman,
John Coltrane,
The Mojo Men,
Cymande,
Inner City,
Visage,
Blake Baxter,
CMW,
Dave Gahan,
Barry Ungar,
The Techniques,
E-Dancer,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Alphaville,
Johnny Clarke,
Terry Callier,
Max Romeo,
Kayak,
Ossler,
Todd Rundgren,
Jacques Brel,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Curtis Mayfield,
Symarip,
Mo-Dettes,
The Knickerbockers,
Minny Pops,
Avey Tare,
The Fire Engines,
Eric Dolphy,
Joey Negro,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Slick Rick,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Ornette Coleman,
The Fortunes,
Duran Duran,
Bluetip,
Ice-T,
Dawn Penn,
The Cowsills,
Massinfluence,
ABBA,
The Blackbyrds,
Bobby Womack,
Absolute Body Control,
Bobby Byrd,
Wolf Eyes,
Flamin' Groovies,
Black Flag,
Althea and Donna,
Model 500,
Minor Threat,
The Sonics,
The Monochrome Set,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Drive Like Jehu,
Donald Byrd,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Underground Resistance,
Public Enemy, Public Enemy, Public Enemy, Public Enemy.
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.