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 Botswana and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1969 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 arpeggiator 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 Lafayette Afro Rock Band to the crunk 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 Bobby Womack. All the underground hits.
All These Immortal Souls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Gap Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 spring reverb and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Adolescents record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Harpers Bizarre,
the Sonics,
The Black Dice,
Model 500,
R.M.O.,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Eric B and Rakim,
Joe Smooth,
Alison Limerick,
Kerri Chandler,
Sixth Finger,
These Immortal Souls,
Quando Quango,
X-Ray Spex,
Brass Construction,
The Smiths,
Angry Samoans,
Jimmy McGriff,
Graham Central Station,
The Golliwogs,
Minor Threat,
Oneida,
Jandek,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Flash Fearless,
Reagan Youth,
Rod Modell,
Pet Shop Boys,
Fad Gadget,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Parry Music,
ABBA,
The Red Krayola,
Lou Christie,
Man Eating Sloth,
OOIOO,
Swans,
The Durutti Column,
The Buckinghams,
The Human League,
Michelle Simonal,
Alphaville,
The Dead C,
Morten Harket,
The Selecter,
Blancmange,
Mr. Review,
Average White Band,
Flamin' Groovies,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Joey Negro,
Curtis Mayfield,
Eric Copeland,
The Remains,
Bobby Womack,
Nick Fraelich,
The Shadows of Knight,
The Cowsills,
Sonny Sharrock, Sonny Sharrock, Sonny Sharrock, Sonny Sharrock.
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.