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 Guinea-Bissau and from Salvador.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 Nile Rodgers 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 Judy Mowatt to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Rhythim Is Rhythim. All the underground hits.
All Ralphi Rosario tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Art Ensemble Of Chicago record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz 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 an oboe and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kenny Larkin record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bronski Beat,
June of 44,
Rufus Thomas,
Masters at Work,
The Human League,
John Cale,
The Cure,
Goldenarms,
The Blues Magoos,
Joe Finger,
Joey Negro,
Alice Coltrane,
Neil Young,
Ultra Naté,
Roxette,
Agitation Free,
The Gun Club,
Monks,
China Crisis,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Massinfluence,
Vladislav Delay,
Flash Fearless,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
F. McDonald,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Average White Band,
Thee Headcoats,
Cymande,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Rites of Spring,
Animal Collective,
Joensuu 1685,
The Slits,
Zapp,
Royal Trux,
Steve Hackett,
Monolake,
Soul II Soul,
These Immortal Souls,
Lalann,
The Durutti Column,
Lalo Schifrin,
Fat Boys,
Delta 5,
The Raincoats,
Gabor Szabo,
Procol Harum,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
The Walker Brothers,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Porter Ricks,
Shoche,
The Misunderstood,
The Gories,
MC5,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Rhythim Is Rhythim, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Rhythim Is Rhythim.
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.