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 Sri Lanka and from Beijing.
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 Tehran and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the organ 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 Shoche to the crunk 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 Godley & Creme. All the underground hits.
All Harry Pussy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Echospace 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Golliwogs record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ohio Players,
China Crisis,
The Leaves,
Marshall Jefferson,
Donny Hathaway,
Erykah Badu,
The Sonics,
Fela Kuti,
Jacob Miller,
Quando Quango,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Popol Vuh,
The Seeds,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Gladiators,
the Normal,
The Blues Magoos,
Radio Birdman,
The Dead C,
Alison Limerick,
Ponytail,
Mad Mike,
Scrapy,
Beasts of Bourbon,
The Mojo Men,
Joy Division,
Tears for Fears,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
The Modern Lovers,
Simply Red,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The American Breed,
Danielle Patucci,
Public Image Ltd.,
Gang Green,
Ken Boothe,
The Red Krayola,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Zapp,
cv313,
Ultimate Spinach,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Minny Pops,
June of 44,
Dave Gahan,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Warsaw,
Sound Behaviour,
Scratch Acid,
Leonard Cohen,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Hasil Adkins,
The Motions,
Excepter,
Chris Corsano,
Eric Copeland,
Shuggie Otis,
Jimmy McGriff,
Jandek,
Delon & Dalcan,
Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar.
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.