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 Mali and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1961 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Sarah Menescal to the rap 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 Letta Mbulu. All the underground hits.
All Colin Newman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Gories record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz 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 mellotron and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Spandau Ballet record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
8 Eyed Spy,
Sun Ra,
Index,
Quantec,
Big Daddy Kane,
Bob Dylan,
Eric Copeland,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Fugs,
The Misunderstood,
Metal Thangz,
K-Klass,
Tim Buckley,
Bad Manners,
Rhythm & Sound,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Barry Ungar,
Livin' Joy,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Beau Brummels,
Robert Hood,
Yusef Lateef,
Todd Terry,
The Golliwogs,
Ralphi Rosario,
Rosa Yemen,
Gang Green,
Japan,
the Association,
The Cramps,
Nick Fraelich,
The Residents,
Sixth Finger,
Mr. Review,
Derrick May,
Soft Cell,
Angry Samoans,
The Real Kids,
Au Pairs,
The Slackers,
Dennis Brown,
Symarip,
Radio Birdman,
Boogie Down Productions,
Cal Tjader,
Glenn Branca,
The Mummies,
Gil Scott Heron,
Roxette,
Lucky Dragons,
Young Marble Giants,
Roy Ayers,
Josef K,
Lungfish,
Donald Byrd,
Terry Callier,
Funky Four + One,
Audionom,
Ultimate Spinach,
Ash Ra Tempel,
A Certain Ratio,
the Germs,
Whodini, Whodini, Whodini, Whodini.
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.