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 Zambia and from Woodstock.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1962 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 X-Ray Spex to the grunge kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 John Lydon. All the underground hits.
All Wolf Eyes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dave Gahan record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Public Enemy,
James White and The Blacks,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
The Shadows of Knight,
Toni Rubio,
Bizarre Inc.,
Blancmange,
Young Marble Giants,
The Invisible,
Chris Corsano,
Metal Thangz,
The Kinks,
ABBA,
Pagans,
Bill Wells,
K-Klass,
Deadbeat,
Howard Jones,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
The Martian,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Warren Ellis,
Charles Mingus,
Rekid,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Althea and Donna,
Big Daddy Kane,
the Fania All-Stars,
Grandmaster Flash,
Newcleus,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
MC5,
Electric Prunes,
Con Funk Shun,
The Blues Magoos,
Throbbing Gristle,
Spandau Ballet,
Clear Light,
Robert Wyatt,
The Flesh Eaters,
Lou Reed,
Mo-Dettes,
Television Personalities,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Brick,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Soul Sonic Force,
Flash Fearless,
Junior Murvin,
JFA,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Absolute Body Control,
Gang Starr,
the Bar-Kays,
Byron Stingily,
Danielle Patucci,
Johnny Osbourne,
Mantronix,
Oneida,
Buzzcocks,
Cal Tjader,
LL Cool J, LL Cool J, LL Cool J, LL Cool J.
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.