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 Guatemala and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1969 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Sao Paulo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Scott Walker 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 Cameo. All the underground hits.
All Oblivians tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Scott Walker record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Chocolate Watch Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Girls At Our Best!,
The Slits,
The Walker Brothers,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Susan Cadogan,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Sugar Minott,
Joey Negro,
The Dirtbombs,
Robert Wyatt,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Oblivians,
Black Sheep,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Beasts of Bourbon,
Alice Coltrane,
Fatback Band,
Roxy Music,
D'Angelo,
Fela Kuti,
Minor Threat,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Lalo Schifrin,
Dave Gahan,
Chris & Cosey,
Half Japanese,
H. Thieme,
Radiopuhelimet,
Shoche,
Youth Brigade,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Soft Machine,
Joy Division,
Roxette,
Cybotron,
Bush Tetras,
E-Dancer,
Ronnie Foster,
These Immortal Souls,
Nick Fraelich,
The Five Americans,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Donny Hathaway,
Cameo,
Eli Mardock,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Arab on Radar,
Yaz,
Pole,
Cal Tjader,
JFA,
Rites of Spring,
Echospace,
Bootsy Collins,
The Invisible,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Bronski Beat,
ABBA,
Liliput,
Man Eating Sloth,
Warren Ellis, Warren Ellis, Warren Ellis, Warren Ellis.
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.