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 Switzerland and from Madrid.
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 1964 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Arab on Radar to the electroclash 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 James Chance & The Contortions. All the underground hits.
All Eli Mardock tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Organ record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 rhodes and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sarah Menescal record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joyce Sims,
Television,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Barry Ungar,
The Flesh Eaters,
T. Rex,
Banda Bassotti,
Roger Hodgson,
Livin' Joy,
Aloha Tigers,
The Electric Prunes,
Danielle Patucci,
Fluxion,
Los Fastidios,
Mad Mike,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Delta 5,
Graham Central Station,
Cymande,
Kerri Chandler,
Terry Callier,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Fat Boys,
Wolf Eyes,
R.M.O.,
Brothers Johnson,
Gong,
Sexual Harrassment,
Kenny Larkin,
Franke,
The Mummies,
Au Pairs,
Hot Snakes,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Young Marble Giants,
Jeru the Damaja,
Chris & Cosey,
Qualms,
Kevin Saunderson,
PIL,
Echospace,
Unwound,
Piero Umiliani,
The Index,
The Names,
Yusef Lateef,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Fifty Foot Hose,
The J.B.'s,
DNA,
In Retrospect,
Aswad,
Judy Mowatt,
The Cramps,
Sixth Finger,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Eric Dolphy,
Gang Green,
Lou Christie,
Mars,
Mo-Dettes,
Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry.
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.