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 South Africa and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 guitar 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 Albert Ayler to the techno kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Ronan. All the underground hits.
All Vladislav Delay tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nation of Ulysses 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Brothers Johnson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Skaos,
Talk Talk,
Malaria!,
Rhythm & Sound,
Bobbi Humphrey,
LL Cool J,
Tom Boy,
Todd Terry,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Mandrill,
Gabor Szabo,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Babytalk,
Judy Mowatt,
Marcia Griffiths,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Kayak,
Kaleidoscope,
The Barracudas,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Con Funk Shun,
Harmonia,
The Red Krayola,
Whodini,
Lightning Bolt,
Andrew Hill,
Alton Ellis,
Warren Ellis,
Ten City,
Sexual Harrassment,
Wasted Youth,
Rekid,
Piero Umiliani,
Brick,
The Standells,
Amon Düül,
Juan Atkins,
DJ Style,
Jimmy McGriff,
Amon Düül II,
Jawbox,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
John Foxx,
Chris Corsano,
Sandy B,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
The Gories,
the Germs,
Lou Christie,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Tim Buckley,
Cal Tjader,
Duran Duran,
48th St. Collective,
Negative Approach,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Quando Quango,
Eden Ahbez,
Arab on Radar,
Youth Brigade, Youth Brigade, Youth Brigade, Youth Brigade.
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.