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 Niger and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron show in Detroit.
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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Moby Grape to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Wolf Eyes. All the underground hits.
All Banda Bassotti tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Dead C record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 snare and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Juan Atkins record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Funky Four + One,
Oneida,
Juan Atkins,
Delta 5,
Surgeon,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Terry Callier,
The Sonics,
The Music Machine,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Fall,
Fatback Band,
The Angels of Light,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Robert Görl,
Sugar Minott,
Absolute Body Control,
Public Image Ltd.,
Eden Ahbez,
Peter and Kerry,
One Last Wish,
Bobby Byrd,
D'Angelo,
The Slits,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Hardrive,
Bizarre Inc.,
Tres Demented,
Roy Ayers,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Althea and Donna,
Minnie Riperton,
Eddi Front,
Moebius,
Royal Trux,
The Detroit Cobras,
The Moleskins,
The Cure,
DNA,
Gerry Rafferty,
Eurythmics,
Rakim,
Skaos,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Motorama,
Oblivians,
The Count Five,
Swans,
Rosa Yemen,
the Sonics,
Harpers Bizarre,
In Retrospect,
Monks,
Masters at Work,
The Birthday Party,
Icehouse,
The Happenings,
Judy Mowatt,
AZ,
Patti Smith,
The Real Kids,
Fugazi, Fugazi, Fugazi, Fugazi.
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.