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 Montenegro 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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Soul II Soul to the grime 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 Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud. All the underground hits.
All Barrington Levy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lalo Schifrin 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Alton Ellis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Vladislav Delay,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Goldenarms,
the Bar-Kays,
June Days,
48th St. Collective,
Depeche Mode,
The Techniques,
Marc Almond,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Roger Hodgson,
Faust,
Model 500,
New Age Steppers,
Hot Snakes,
Electric Prunes,
The Walker Brothers,
Yusef Lateef,
Quando Quango,
Liliput,
Girls At Our Best!,
Thompson Twins,
Guru Guru,
Amazonics,
Bizarre Inc.,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Scion,
Anthony Braxton,
The Busters,
The Fortunes,
The Leaves,
Jacob Miller,
The Divine Comedy,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Section 25,
Grey Daturas,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Litter,
Nils Olav,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Brand Nubian,
The Fuzztones,
Byron Stingily,
Q and Not U,
Kerrie Biddell,
Pylon,
Boredoms,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Second Layer,
The Golliwogs,
Simply Red,
Maleditus Sound,
Camouflage,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Beau Brummels,
The Grass Roots,
Clear Light,
Bootsy Collins,
Circle Jerks,
Roy Ayers,
Wally Richardson,
The Vogues, The Vogues, The Vogues, The Vogues.
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.