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 Monaco 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 1960 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 808 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 Trumans Water to the dance kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Tomorrow. All the underground hits.
All Skarface tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Con Funk Shun record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 an arpeggiator and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Loose Ends record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Minnie Riperton,
Junior Murvin,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
La Düsseldorf,
The Blues Magoos,
T.S.O.L.,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Barry Ungar,
Rhythm & Sound,
The Music Machine,
Ronnie Foster,
Maurizio,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Martian,
Ultravox,
The Skatalites,
Bluetip,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Sonics,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Peter and Kerry,
Soft Machine,
Blossom Toes,
Glenn Branca,
Rotary Connection,
Essential Logic,
The Modern Lovers,
EPMD,
Talk Talk,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Lalann,
Spandau Ballet,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Vainqueur,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Dual Sessions,
Bob Dylan,
DNA,
The Leaves,
Shuggie Otis,
Symarip,
Lebanon Hanover,
Alison Limerick,
Davy DMX,
Marshall Jefferson,
Stetsasonic,
Mandrill,
Goldenarms,
Zapp,
Drive Like Jehu,
Zero Boys,
The Wake,
Q and Not U,
Severed Heads,
Wasted Youth,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Bill Wells,
X-102,
Lucky Dragons,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Vogues, The Vogues, The Vogues, The Vogues.
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.