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 Cuba 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 1969 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Minnie Riperton to the rap 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 Ash Ra Tempel. All the underground hits.
All Gerry Rafferty tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Symarip record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rakim,
Lakeside,
Swans,
The Sonics,
Shuggie Otis,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Arab on Radar,
Skaos,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Mantronix,
Marine Girls,
The Kinks,
Blake Baxter,
Marmalade,
The Alarm Clocks,
Agent Orange,
Faust,
The Stooges,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
a-ha,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Sun City Girls,
X-102,
Stereo Dub,
The Zeros,
Zero Boys,
Terrestrial Tones,
Nik Kershaw,
The Fire Engines,
Cameo,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Joensuu 1685,
Nation of Ulysses,
Tropical Tobacco,
Barry Ungar,
The Fall,
Gong,
Panda Bear,
MC5,
48th St. Collective,
Yusef Lateef,
David Bowie,
Eden Ahbez,
The Slits,
Barbara Tucker,
The Gap Band,
Symarip,
Isaac Hayes,
Television,
Depeche Mode,
The Saints,
Jeff Lynne,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Harpers Bizarre,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Seeds,
The Fugs,
Alphaville,
Ultimate Spinach,
Mars,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Little Man, Little Man, Little Man, Little Man.
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.