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 Nigeria and from Calgary.
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 1960 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Black Bananas to the rap 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 Flipper. All the underground hits.
All Sight & Sound tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Velvet Underground record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 sitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Minor Threat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Tres Demented,
New Order,
Scratch Acid,
FM Einheit,
Rod Modell,
Depeche Mode,
The Monochrome Set,
Make Up,
Patti Smith,
Josef K,
Motorama,
The Angels of Light,
Alison Limerick,
Sonny Sharrock,
Godley & Creme,
The Music Machine,
Isaac Hayes,
Mary Jane Girls,
Camberwell Now,
Johnny Osbourne,
Dennis Brown,
The Modern Lovers,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Count Five,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Oneida,
Fad Gadget,
Pharoah Sanders,
Little Man,
David Bowie,
The Slits,
John Coltrane,
Man Parrish,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Minny Pops,
Moss Icon,
MC5,
Sparks,
In Retrospect,
Stereo Dub,
London Community Gospel Choir,
T.S.O.L.,
James Chance & The Contortions,
It's A Beautiful Day,
L. Decosne,
The Misunderstood,
Franke,
DJ Style,
Bob Dylan,
Girls At Our Best!,
Faraquet,
Country Teasers,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
The Busters,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Velvet Underground,
Pylon,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Erasure,
Joy Division,
Joyce Sims, Joyce Sims, Joyce Sims, Joyce Sims.
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.