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 Lithuania and from Madrid.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Kayak to the dance kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Wasted Youth. All the underground hits.
All Unrelated Segments tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Vainqueur 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The United States of America record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Organ,
a-ha,
Kayak,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Cecil Taylor,
The Monks,
Reuben Wilson,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Toasters,
Skriet,
Monolake,
Donald Byrd,
the Germs,
The Real Kids,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Vogues,
Darondo,
The Birthday Party,
John Holt,
The Associates,
Desert Stars,
Circle Jerks,
DNA,
David McCallum,
K-Klass,
E-Dancer,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Khruangbin,
Model 500,
Shuggie Otis,
AZ,
Q65,
Radio Birdman,
Rhythm & Sound,
David Axelrod,
Ultra Naté,
Big Daddy Kane,
Boz Scaggs,
The Star Department,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Matthew Bourne,
Anthony Braxton,
Japan,
Rapeman,
Banda Bassotti,
Nation of Ulysses,
Sixth Finger,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The American Breed,
Crooked Eye,
UT,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Warsaw,
Johnny Clarke,
Dark Day,
Boogie Down Productions,
Oblivians,
Ten City,
The Cramps, The Cramps, The Cramps, The Cramps.
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.