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 Iceland and from Portland.
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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 Robert Palmer 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 Absolute Body Control to the jazz kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 DNA. All the underground hits.
All the Sonics tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Standells record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ultramagnetic MC's record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Leaves,
The Barracudas,
Cymande,
The Fall,
Scientists,
Sam Rivers,
The Doors,
Essential Logic,
Nik Kershaw,
Idris Muhammad,
Supertramp,
Curtis Mayfield,
Guru Guru,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Aswad,
Gichy Dan,
Blancmange,
Arcadia,
Fugazi,
Fela Kuti,
The Modern Lovers,
DNA,
a-ha,
The Litter,
Can,
The Pretty Things,
Danielle Patucci,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Amazonics,
Stockholm Monsters,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Pussy Galore,
Jerry's Kids,
The Move,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Monolake,
James White and The Blacks,
Oneida,
Joensuu 1685,
Godley & Creme,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
JFA,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Swans,
Darondo,
The Monks,
Reagan Youth,
L. Decosne,
the Soft Cell,
Royal Trux,
Mary Jane Girls,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Moby Grape,
Sex Pistols,
Minor Threat,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Q and Not U,
The Dead C,
Blake Baxter,
Gang of Four, Gang of Four, Gang of Four, Gang of Four.
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.