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 Fiji and from Shanghai.
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 1965 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Scientists to the crunk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Con Funk Shun. All the underground hits.
All Rahsaan Roland Kirk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Monolake record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Q and Not U record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
World's Most,
Wally Richardson,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Fuzztones,
Hardrive,
Smog,
Jandek,
Eric Dolphy,
Morten Harket,
AZ,
Fela Kuti,
Ohio Players,
Arcadia,
The Gap Band,
Agitation Free,
Skarface,
Roxy Music,
Frankie Knuckles,
Television,
Terry Callier,
The Flesh Eaters,
Half Japanese,
Flamin' Groovies,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Q65,
The Velvet Underground,
Faraquet,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Ludus,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Marc Almond,
U.S. Maple,
Malaria!,
Ultravox,
Grandmaster Flash,
Todd Rundgren,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Sam Rivers,
Boogie Down Productions,
Aswad,
Niagra,
Rod Modell,
Man Eating Sloth,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Outsiders,
The Real Kids,
Fad Gadget,
Scion,
Tropical Tobacco,
Lebanon Hanover,
Sonny Sharrock,
James White and The Blacks,
Lou Christie,
The Toasters,
Tres Demented,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Magma,
Donny Hathaway,
Jacob Miller,
Camberwell Now,
Lyres,
Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru.
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.