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 Antigua and from Jakarta.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 theremin 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 Sun Ra Arkestra to the dance kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Major Organ And The Adding Machine. All the underground hits.
All Eyeless In Gaza tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric B and Rakim record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Joe Finger record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
Altered Images,
Kayak,
Ice-T,
Pere Ubu,
Crooked Eye,
Johnny Clarke,
Duran Duran,
ABBA,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
The Residents,
Excepter,
Niagra,
The Blues Magoos,
The Raincoats,
Jeff Mills,
Crime,
Eve St. Jones,
June Days,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Man Eating Sloth,
Rufus Thomas,
Sex Pistols,
Absolute Body Control,
Ponytail,
Ultravox,
Joey Negro,
Flash Fearless,
The Techniques,
Jeru the Damaja,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
The Victims,
Sound Behaviour,
Livin' Joy,
Groovy Waters,
The Moleskins,
T.S.O.L.,
Moss Icon,
Swans,
Colin Newman,
Fear,
Alton Ellis,
Goldenarms,
The Grass Roots,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Kurtis Blow,
Agitation Free,
Public Image Ltd.,
Erykah Badu,
EPMD,
Television Personalities,
Gerry Rafferty,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Angels of Light,
Joensuu 1685,
the Soft Cell,
Chris & Cosey,
Nirvana,
Marine Girls,
Yaz,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Negative Approach,
The Doobie Brothers,
Rakim, Rakim, Rakim, Rakim.
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.