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 Mali and from Woodstock.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1967 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Anthony Braxton to the grunge 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 The Skatalites. All the underground hits.
All Minnie Riperton tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Seeds record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sight & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Alphaville,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Radio Birdman,
Royal Trux,
Dual Sessions,
Amazonics,
Mars,
Prince Buster,
The Gap Band,
Susan Cadogan,
The Associates,
the Sonics,
Nico,
Echospace,
kango's stein massive,
Chris Corsano,
Motorama,
Technova,
Saccharine Trust,
Ultravox,
Bauhaus,
Ponytail,
Marvin Gaye,
Shoche,
Country Teasers,
the Fania All-Stars,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Outsiders,
The Count Five,
AZ,
MC5,
8 Eyed Spy,
Gang of Four,
The Offenders,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
The Cowsills,
Masters at Work,
Gang Green,
Neu!,
Joe Finger,
Bronski Beat,
Boz Scaggs,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Index,
Zero Boys,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Dave Clark Five,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Sarah Menescal,
Icehouse,
Q and Not U,
Underground Resistance,
Jeff Lynne,
The Dirtbombs,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Minnie Riperton,
Yusef Lateef,
Eric B and Rakim,
Skriet,
Marmalade,
Nick Fraelich,
David Axelrod,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Big Daddy Kane, Big Daddy Kane, Big Daddy Kane, Big Daddy Kane.
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.