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 Yemen and from Tokyo.
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 1961 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 X-101 to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Saccharine Trust. All the underground hits.
All Chris Corsano tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Judy Mowatt record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 a spring reverb and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kool Moe Dee record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Mojo Men,
The Zeros,
The Stooges,
Youth Brigade,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Dennis Brown,
Vainqueur,
OOIOO,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Zapp,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Althea and Donna,
Bauhaus,
Urselle,
Television,
Blake Baxter,
Quando Quango,
Ossler,
Harry Pussy,
Ken Boothe,
Albert Ayler,
New Order,
U.S. Maple,
The Neon Judgement,
Japan,
The Human League,
DNA,
Ornette Coleman,
the Normal,
Soul Sonic Force,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Sam Rivers,
Country Teasers,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Anakelly,
Blossom Toes,
Wings,
The Moody Blues,
The Black Dice,
Sister Nancy,
Gregory Isaacs,
Donny Hathaway,
Lucky Dragons,
Glenn Branca,
Juan Atkins,
Leonard Cohen,
The Slackers,
Vladislav Delay,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Pantytec,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Lalann,
Swans,
The Barracudas,
Saccharine Trust,
Funky Four + One,
Niagra,
The Vogues,
Second Layer,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Neil Young,
Brand Nubian, Brand Nubian, Brand Nubian, Brand Nubian.
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.