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 Qatar and from Madrid.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1963 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 K-Klass to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 MC5. All the underground hits.
All Flash Fearless tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every the Soft Cell record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 clarinet and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Arthur Verocai record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Public Enemy,
Derrick Morgan,
Eric Dolphy,
Roxy Music,
Bizarre Inc.,
Swans,
the Slits,
Alphaville,
The Motions,
Banda Bassotti,
Pylon,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Erykah Badu,
Urselle,
F. McDonald,
MDC,
The Toasters,
Alton Ellis,
Jerry's Kids,
Livin' Joy,
The Star Department,
Thompson Twins,
the Fania All-Stars,
Oneida,
The Moleskins,
World's Most,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Sarah Menescal,
Amazonics,
Malaria!,
Deadbeat,
Stereo Dub,
Sandy B,
Danielle Patucci,
Television,
Man Eating Sloth,
The Selecter,
Hot Snakes,
H. Thieme,
Peter and Kerry,
Gang of Four,
Cybotron,
Mission of Burma,
The Residents,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Electric Light Orchestra,
OOIOO,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
CMW,
Hashim,
Drexciya,
Faust,
Jesper Dahlback,
New York Dolls,
Reuben Wilson,
Scientists,
Mandrill,
Avey Tare,
Lou Christie,
Morten Harket,
the Swans,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth.
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.