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 Rwanda and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 The Leaves to the grunge kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 X-101. All the underground hits.
All Gian Franco Pienzio tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Happenings record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Barrington Levy,
Japan,
Jawbox,
Silicon Teens,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Crooked Eye,
Ultravox,
Faust,
New Order,
Second Layer,
L. Decosne,
PIL,
Curtis Mayfield,
Brick,
Mary Jane Girls,
Eddi Front,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Radio Birdman,
Metal Thangz,
Scratch Acid,
John Coltrane,
Bauhaus,
Brass Construction,
La Düsseldorf,
Easy Going,
John Foxx,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Barracudas,
the Swans,
Lucky Dragons,
Marvin Gaye,
The Saints,
Unwound,
Junior Murvin,
Audionom,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
New Age Steppers,
Chris Corsano,
Organ,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Buzzcocks,
Delta 5,
The Smoke,
Khruangbin,
Wings,
Monolake,
Stetsasonic,
Mantronix,
Morten Harket,
Sun City Girls,
Malaria!,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Rosa Yemen,
This Heat,
Sugar Minott,
Harry Pussy,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Skatalites,
Roxy Music,
Sam Rivers,
Kayak, Kayak, Kayak, Kayak.
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.