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 Georgia and from Lyon.
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 1962 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Matthew Bourne to the jazz kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Funky Four + One. All the underground hits.
All Monks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fatback Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Eden Ahbez record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Oneida,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Ultra Naté,
The Real Kids,
Michelle Simonal,
The Mighty Diamonds,
John Lydon,
Funkadelic,
Ultimate Spinach,
Pussy Galore,
The Toasters,
Von Mondo,
The Trojans,
Bobby Womack,
The United States of America,
June of 44,
Yaz,
Mo-Dettes,
Livin' Joy,
Anthony Braxton,
Lightning Bolt,
Loose Ends,
Ronan,
Faraquet,
10cc,
Black Pus,
Icehouse,
Saccharine Trust,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Pole,
The Saints,
Dennis Brown,
Los Fastidios,
Flipper,
Stockholm Monsters,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Silicon Teens,
John Foxx,
Girls At Our Best!,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Altered Images,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Flesh Eaters,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Bush Tetras,
Brass Construction,
Erykah Badu,
New York Dolls,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Warren Ellis,
The Names,
Freddie Wadling,
Jerry's Kids,
Basic Channel,
Bronski Beat,
Moby Grape,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Mojo Men,
UT,
Cal Tjader,
Lucky Dragons,
Traffic Nightmare, Traffic Nightmare, Traffic Nightmare, Traffic Nightmare.
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.