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 Djibouti and from Columbus.
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 1966 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Ronan to the rock 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 Heaven 17. All the underground hits.
All Dorothy Ashby tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Hasil Adkins 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gang Green record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare,
The Dead C,
The Kinks,
Liliput,
John Cale,
The Five Americans,
Audionom,
Pole,
B.T. Express,
The Pop Group,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Kerri Chandler,
The Gories,
Arthur Verocai,
Agitation Free,
New York Dolls,
Thee Headcoats,
Babytalk,
Sex Pistols,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Kayak,
Sällskapet,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Angels of Light,
Chris Corsano,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Soul II Soul,
Barrington Levy,
June of 44,
the Sonics,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Moss Icon,
Lucky Dragons,
Ituana,
Spandau Ballet,
Hardrive,
Al Stewart,
Tomorrow,
a-ha,
Drive Like Jehu,
Wings,
Scrapy,
Crispian St. Peters,
Symarip,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Y Pants,
The Divine Comedy,
Hoover,
The Electric Prunes,
Rosa Yemen,
Leonard Cohen,
Ultimate Spinach,
Roxette,
Ten City,
Nils Olav,
Bill Wells,
Rod Modell, Rod Modell, Rod Modell, Rod Modell.
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.