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 Sri Lanka and from Mexico City.
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 1964 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the 808 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 EPMD to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Mad Mike. All the underground hits.
All Minnie Riperton tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Darondo 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 808 and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Brand Nubian record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Archie Shepp,
Outsiders,
cv313,
Bizarre Inc.,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Stereo Dub,
Buzzcocks,
Chrome,
Intrusion,
Radiopuhelimet,
Brass Construction,
The Pretty Things,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The Angels of Light,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Fela Kuti,
Crispian St. Peters,
Public Image Ltd.,
Pagans,
The Sonics,
Joe Finger,
The Cramps,
Vladislav Delay,
Lalo Schifrin,
Shoche,
Khruangbin,
8 Eyed Spy,
the Association,
Man Parrish,
Crime,
Brick,
Warsaw,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Mad Mike,
Oblivians,
Patti Smith,
Barry Ungar,
The Leaves,
The Fuzztones,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Zero Boys,
The Real Kids,
Nils Olav,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Procol Harum,
The Gun Club,
Mr. Review,
Beasts of Bourbon,
The Shadows of Knight,
The New Christs,
R.M.O.,
DJ Sneak,
Alison Limerick,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Sound,
Fugazi,
Wire,
Icehouse,
X-101,
Duran Duran, Duran Duran, Duran Duran, Duran Duran.
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.