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 Serbia and from Johannesburg.
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 1967 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Harry Pussy to the rap 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 Infiniti. All the underground hits.
All Surgeon tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Electric Prunes 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nation of Ulysses record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bill Wells,
Blancmange,
This Heat,
Infiniti,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
X-Ray Spex,
Terry Callier,
Jawbox,
The Monks,
Can,
F. McDonald,
The Velvet Underground,
Gang of Four,
Skarface,
The Knickerbockers,
Mandrill,
Minutemen,
Minor Threat,
Vainqueur,
Lakeside,
Metal Thangz,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Mr. Review,
The Doobie Brothers,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Donald Byrd,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Depeche Mode,
the Fania All-Stars,
Cymande,
Bauhaus,
Y Pants,
The Five Americans,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Jandek,
Main Source,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Gap Band,
Kerrie Biddell,
Easy Going,
Colin Newman,
Royal Trux,
Livin' Joy,
Gichy Dan,
Kayak,
Robert Wyatt,
Brand Nubian,
Camberwell Now,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Von Mondo,
Ossler,
Aloha Tigers,
Technova,
Delon & Dalcan,
Deepchord,
MC5,
Panda Bear,
Mission of Burma,
Barbara Tucker,
The Red Krayola,
Slick Rick,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül.
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.