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 Germany and from Delhi.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Glasgow.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Leonard Cohen to the rock 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 Outsiders. All the underground hits.
All Liliput tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric Copeland record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 harpsichord and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Shuggie Otis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
CMW,
Derrick Morgan,
Roy Ayers,
Bobby Byrd,
the Germs,
The Red Krayola,
The Last Poets,
Marshall Jefferson,
Brand Nubian,
Deadbeat,
Wally Richardson,
Chris & Cosey,
The Fire Engines,
The Associates,
Hardrive,
Dave Gahan,
Pylon,
The Motions,
Sun Ra,
Warren Ellis,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Organ,
Metal Thangz,
The Names,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Crispy Ambulance,
Letta Mbulu,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
The Detroit Cobras,
Jeff Mills,
Janne Schatter,
Lou Christie,
Inner City,
U.S. Maple,
The Victims,
K-Klass,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Television Personalities,
Adolescents,
Neu!,
Siglo XX,
Massinfluence,
Das Ding,
Sixth Finger,
Skriet,
Cluster,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Amon Düül II,
Sonny Sharrock,
Kerrie Biddell,
Peter and Kerry,
Aloha Tigers,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Marmalade,
Yaz,
Minor Threat,
Delon & Dalcan,
Sex Pistols,
Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside.
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.