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 Benin and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and London.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Metal Thangz to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 ABC. All the underground hits.
All Erykah Badu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every kango's stein massive 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
China Crisis,
Dave Gahan,
Darondo,
Donny Hathaway,
Slick Rick,
Outsiders,
Reuben Wilson,
Drive Like Jehu,
Glenn Branca,
Harpers Bizarre,
Robert Görl,
Theoretical Girls,
Johnny Osbourne,
Alphaville,
Piero Umiliani,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
The Pretty Things,
The Birthday Party,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Fortunes,
Y Pants,
Soulsonic Force,
Sam Rivers,
Subhumans,
Clear Light,
The Modern Lovers,
The Zeros,
Zero Boys,
Con Funk Shun,
Magazine,
Skarface,
Colin Newman,
Bill Wells,
Rakim,
Pantytec,
The Sound,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Carl Craig,
Big Daddy Kane,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
The Star Department,
Deepchord,
Tears for Fears,
Mission of Burma,
Byron Stingily,
Franke,
Quantec,
Symarip,
Fela Kuti,
Steve Hackett,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Unwound,
the Sonics,
Eddi Front,
Royal Trux,
One Last Wish,
The Detroit Cobras,
Bang On A Can, Bang On A Can, Bang On A Can, Bang On A Can.
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.