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 Slovakia and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1964 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 marimba 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 Blake Baxter to the grime kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Adolescents. All the underground hits.
All Mission of Burma tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ultramagnetic MC's record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 marimba and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sly & The Family Stone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Reuben Wilson,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Chris & Cosey,
the Germs,
The Gladiators,
Marc Almond,
Aswad,
Jeru the Damaja,
Gang Starr,
Panda Bear,
Rapeman,
Average White Band,
Echospace,
Flash Fearless,
Donny Hathaway,
Public Enemy,
The Birthday Party,
Todd Rundgren,
Subhumans,
Lucky Dragons,
Piero Umiliani,
Leonard Cohen,
Ludus,
Sexual Harrassment,
Yellowson,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Drive Like Jehu,
Brick,
Kool Moe Dee,
Tres Demented,
Jerry Gold Smith,
the Sonics,
Bill Wells,
The New Christs,
Davy DMX,
The Fire Engines,
Stereo Dub,
The Wake,
Guru Guru,
Whodini,
Joey Negro,
Bobby Byrd,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Rufus Thomas,
The Move,
Kurtis Blow,
Little Man,
Underground Resistance,
Gichy Dan,
Prince Buster,
The Beau Brummels,
The Dead C,
Cymande,
Patti Smith,
FM Einheit,
Pulsallama,
The Flesh Eaters,
Sun Ra,
Unwound, Unwound, Unwound, Unwound.
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.