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 Dominican Republic and from Accra.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the oboe 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 Davy DMX to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Groovy Waters. All the underground hits.
All Angels of Light & Akron/Family tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
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 Chris Corsano record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Albert Ayler,
Sällskapet,
DJ Style,
The Knickerbockers,
Eli Mardock,
Stockholm Monsters,
MDC,
Little Man,
the Sonics,
Arcadia,
Bush Tetras,
DNA,
Gang of Four,
Yaz,
Ultimate Spinach,
Spandau Ballet,
Bobby Byrd,
The Searchers,
Buzzcocks,
Nico,
Boogie Down Productions,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Brass Construction,
Eric B and Rakim,
UT,
Robert Hood,
Michelle Simonal,
Amon Düül II,
Tom Boy,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Urselle,
Cecil Taylor,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
John Holt,
Bronski Beat,
Jeru the Damaja,
Peter and Kerry,
Sam Rivers,
Half Japanese,
Marvin Gaye,
the Slits,
X-Ray Spex,
Kevin Saunderson,
Henry Cow,
Tommy Roe,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Nik Kershaw,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Suicide,
Public Enemy,
Glenn Branca,
the Human League,
The Last Poets,
Harmonia,
Aloha Tigers,
Porter Ricks,
Slave,
Pere Ubu,
The Trojans,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Bluetip,
The Alarm Clocks,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Alton Ellis, Alton Ellis, Alton Ellis, Alton Ellis.
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.