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 Finland and from Calgary.
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 1961 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 spring reverb 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 Eyeless In Gaza to the rock kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Fela Kuti. All the underground hits.
All June Days tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Divine Comedy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 spring reverb and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Letta Mbulu record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Busters,
The Doobie Brothers,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Lyres,
Livin' Joy,
The Moody Blues,
Terrestrial Tones,
Cecil Taylor,
Lakeside,
Derrick Morgan,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Agitation Free,
Kenny Larkin,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Smoke,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Nico,
Scratch Acid,
Arab on Radar,
Pantytec,
Davy DMX,
Nas,
U.S. Maple,
Fatback Band,
Chrome,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Marcia Griffiths,
Juan Atkins,
Scientists,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
LL Cool J,
John Coltrane,
Lungfish,
Soul Sonic Force,
Al Stewart,
Trumans Water,
Pere Ubu,
Connie Case,
Bill Wells,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Qualms,
Archie Shepp,
Barbara Tucker,
Adolescents,
Ash Ra Tempel,
The Gap Band,
Frankie Knuckles,
L. Decosne,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
PIL,
Silicon Teens,
Newcleus,
Thee Headcoats,
Youth Brigade,
ABBA,
A Certain Ratio,
Derrick May,
Television Personalities,
Tom Boy,
Au Pairs,
Eddi Front,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Massinfluence, Massinfluence, Massinfluence, Massinfluence.
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.