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 Panama and from Toronto.
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 1963 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Theoretical Girls to the grime kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Jandek. All the underground hits.
All The Cosmic Jokers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythim Is Rhythim 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bronski Beat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ornette Coleman,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Skaos,
The Saints,
Throbbing Gristle,
The Gap Band,
The Kinks,
Khruangbin,
Gerry Rafferty,
Ultra Naté,
Shoche,
The Names,
Y Pants,
Laurel Aitken,
Bauhaus,
The Fire Engines,
Funky Four + One,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Dark Day,
The Golliwogs,
Excepter,
The Mummies,
U.S. Maple,
Ludus,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
The Selecter,
D'Angelo,
Jawbox,
Tim Buckley,
Dave Gahan,
Soft Machine,
Soul II Soul,
Jacob Miller,
Patti Smith,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Malaria!,
Prince Buster,
PIL,
Wolf Eyes,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Roxy Music,
T.S.O.L.,
Audionom,
Rod Modell,
Yusef Lateef,
Nas,
The Techniques,
Kerri Chandler,
Lee Hazlewood,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Jeff Lynne,
The Barracudas,
Matthew Bourne,
Pole,
MC5,
Reagan Youth,
Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar.
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.