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 Uzbekistan and from Bologna.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 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 Massinfluence to the dance kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Terrestrial Tones. All the underground hits.
All Von Mondo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Zero Boys 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nirvana record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Scott Walker,
Suicide,
Cameo,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Maleditus Sound,
Matthew Halsall,
Brand Nubian,
K-Klass,
The Litter,
Smog,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Gil Scott Heron,
The Vogues,
Banda Bassotti,
the Bar-Kays,
Unwound,
Eddi Front,
The Buckinghams,
Wally Richardson,
Barrington Levy,
Saccharine Trust,
Black Flag,
Mission of Burma,
This Heat,
Ponytail,
The Kinks,
Aloha Tigers,
Amazonics,
Half Japanese,
Minny Pops,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Mandrill,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Jeru the Damaja,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
U.S. Maple,
Stetsasonic,
Crooked Eye,
Pussy Galore,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
the Slits,
Pole,
The Evens,
Agitation Free,
Rekid,
Hot Snakes,
Pagans,
Idris Muhammad,
Negative Approach,
Masters at Work,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Johnny Clarke,
Tomorrow,
8 Eyed Spy,
Nils Olav,
Roxy Music,
Babytalk,
Anthony Braxton,
The Raincoats,
David McCallum,
Fat Boys,
Ludus,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Minor Threat, Minor Threat, Minor Threat, Minor Threat.
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.