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 Sweden and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 clarinet 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 Mary Jane Girls to the electroclash kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Motions. All the underground hits.
All Marvin Gaye tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Zeros record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Symarip record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Mojo Men,
the Association,
Jandek,
Franke,
Gregory Isaacs,
Zero Boys,
Susan Cadogan,
X-101,
Joensuu 1685,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Bobby Sherman,
Rod Modell,
H. Thieme,
Fifty Foot Hose,
One Last Wish,
James White and The Blacks,
The Slits,
Newcleus,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Underground Resistance,
Bauhaus,
the Fania All-Stars,
Pylon,
Sister Nancy,
The Flesh Eaters,
Joey Negro,
John Coltrane,
The United States of America,
B.T. Express,
Main Source,
Scientists,
Ken Boothe,
Grauzone,
Lower 48,
Shoche,
FM Einheit,
Skarface,
the Soft Cell,
Black Pus,
Roxette,
Soulsonic Force,
Moby Grape,
Infiniti,
Althea and Donna,
Warren Ellis,
Altered Images,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Q and Not U,
Joe Finger,
Maleditus Sound,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Josef K,
Pussy Galore,
Juan Atkins,
Arthur Verocai,
The New Christs,
The Fuzztones,
Parry Music,
UT,
David Bowie,
Spoonie Gee,
Camouflage,
Ultramagnetic MC's, Ultramagnetic MC's, Ultramagnetic MC's, Ultramagnetic MC's.
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.