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 Latvia and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1968 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 Michael McDonald 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 Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band to the punk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Electric Prunes. All the underground hits.
All The Peanut Butter Conspiracy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Althea and Donna 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Velvet Underground record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cal Tjader,
Peter and Kerry,
Dead Boys,
E-Dancer,
Carl Craig,
The Martian,
Kool Moe Dee,
Gabor Szabo,
Los Fastidios,
48th St. Collective,
The Skatalites,
Crispy Ambulance,
Skaos,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Mo-Dettes,
Roxette,
Susan Cadogan,
Junior Murvin,
Mantronix,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Section 25,
Terry Callier,
Nico,
Duran Duran,
Negative Approach,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Rod Modell,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Cameo,
Electric Prunes,
One Last Wish,
The New Christs,
Eric Dolphy,
Urselle,
Quadrant,
Youth Brigade,
Swell Maps,
The Sound,
Iggy Pop,
Barclay James Harvest,
Con Funk Shun,
MC5,
The Beau Brummels,
DJ Sneak,
The Index,
Joy Division,
Circle Jerks,
Parry Music,
Agent Orange,
the Normal,
Slick Rick,
Donald Byrd,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Procol Harum,
Monks,
Japan,
R.M.O.,
8 Eyed Spy,
Robert Görl,
LL Cool J,
Brothers Johnson,
Sun City Girls,
Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan.
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.