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 Spain and from Paris.
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 1962 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 The Jesus and Mary Chain to the rock kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Vogues. All the underground hits.
All Dorothy Ashby tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Scratch Acid 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 chamberlin and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sun Ra Arkestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Soft Machine,
Deakin,
Theoretical Girls,
The Gories,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
The Tremeloes,
The Zeros,
Nick Fraelich,
Cecil Taylor,
Todd Rundgren,
Bobby Sherman,
F. McDonald,
Flash Fearless,
Average White Band,
The Beau Brummels,
The American Breed,
Duran Duran,
Pagans,
Minnie Riperton,
The Toasters,
Technova,
New York Dolls,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Donny Hathaway,
Aloha Tigers,
Thompson Twins,
Faust,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Nation of Ulysses,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Von Mondo,
Delta 5,
Traffic Nightmare,
Funky Four + One,
Alphaville,
The Evens,
Country Teasers,
the Sonics,
48th St. Collective,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Massinfluence,
The Selecter,
Kenny Larkin,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Knickerbockers,
Magma,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Minor Threat,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Public Image Ltd.,
The Divine Comedy,
Monks,
Tom Boy,
Peter & Gordon,
Bluetip,
Severed Heads,
The Slackers,
Howard Jones,
Deadbeat, Deadbeat, Deadbeat, Deadbeat.
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.