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 Grenada and from Manchester.
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 1966 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 linndrum 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 Deadbeat 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 The Jesus and Mary Chain. All the underground hits.
All The Electric Prunes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Thompson Twins record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Grauzone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
DNA,
Crooked Eye,
Cecil Taylor,
Sällskapet,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Lalo Schifrin,
Barrington Levy,
Moss Icon,
The Blues Magoos,
The Fortunes,
Nation of Ulysses,
Steve Hackett,
The Golliwogs,
Jandek,
Traffic Nightmare,
Make Up,
The Seeds,
OOIOO,
Stetsasonic,
The Evens,
Judy Mowatt,
Radio Birdman,
The Cowsills,
The Detroit Cobras,
Scan 7,
The Neon Judgement,
KRS-One,
Excepter,
D'Angelo,
Little Man,
Tubeway Army,
Country Teasers,
Youth Brigade,
Porter Ricks,
The Cure,
Leonard Cohen,
The Doors,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Flamin' Groovies,
Kayak,
Mary Jane Girls,
Japan,
Juan Atkins,
Dark Day,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Kerri Chandler,
Drexciya,
Throbbing Gristle,
Kas Product,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Gories,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
The Pop Group,
The Barracudas,
Funky Four + One,
Johnny Clarke,
Goldenarms,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Gerry Rafferty, Gerry Rafferty, Gerry Rafferty, Gerry Rafferty.
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.