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 Guyana and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Manila.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the marimba 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 Massinfluence to the crunk 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 Fela Kuti. All the underground hits.
All Spandau Ballet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Harry Pussy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ralphi Rosario record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
One Last Wish,
LL Cool J,
Hardrive,
Alphaville,
The Sound,
Eden Ahbez,
Pylon,
Crooked Eye,
The Mummies,
Man Parrish,
Sixth Finger,
Maleditus Sound,
Sex Pistols,
The Gun Club,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Minnie Riperton,
Ponytail,
Joyce Sims,
The Seeds,
Traffic Nightmare,
Nation of Ulysses,
Heaven 17,
The Doors,
Hasil Adkins,
Pere Ubu,
Average White Band,
Piero Umiliani,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Black Moon,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Terrestrial Tones,
Fatback Band,
The Fortunes,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Gang Green,
Aural Exciters,
Pussy Galore,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Lakeside,
Harry Pussy,
Wasted Youth,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Spoonie Gee,
Reagan Youth,
X-101,
Charles Mingus,
The Skatalites,
Janne Schatter,
Jeru the Damaja,
Maurizio,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
The Victims,
Lucky Dragons,
Mars,
Outsiders,
Ossler,
Sparks, Sparks, Sparks, Sparks.
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.