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 Algeria and from Lagos.
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 1964 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and London.
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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Circle Jerks to the techno kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Nico. All the underground hits.
All Symarip tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Circle Jerks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tom Boy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sly & The Family Stone,
The Buckinghams,
John Lydon,
Idris Muhammad,
Monks,
Panda Bear,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Cal Tjader,
Public Enemy,
Kas Product,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Gabor Szabo,
Newcleus,
Buzzcocks,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Mantronix,
Ossler,
Joe Finger,
The Fall,
The Cramps,
The Names,
Barrington Levy,
The Monks,
The Litter,
KRS-One,
Crispy Ambulance,
Moby Grape,
John Foxx,
Section 25,
Cybotron,
Blake Baxter,
Bronski Beat,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Radio Birdman,
Joe Smooth,
Chris & Cosey,
Japan,
Rakim,
The Wake,
Sight & Sound,
Black Pus,
Hasil Adkins,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Joy Division,
Radiohead,
Shuggie Otis,
Deakin,
Pet Shop Boys,
Circle Jerks,
Sun Ra,
Sex Pistols,
Fluxion,
Gregory Isaacs,
John Holt,
Grandmaster Flash,
Au Pairs,
Avey Tare,
Piero Umiliani,
Charles Mingus,
Kerri Chandler,
Duran Duran,
Dawn Penn,
Jawbox, Jawbox, Jawbox, Jawbox.
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.