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 St Lucia and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 Jakarta and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 snare 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 Lafayette Afro Rock Band 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 the Association. All the underground hits.
All Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ossler 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Letta Mbulu record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Detroit Cobras,
Jacob Miller,
The Durutti Column,
Chrome,
Ohio Players,
Tom Boy,
DJ Style,
Brothers Johnson,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Lalann,
Spandau Ballet,
Bang On A Can,
The Toasters,
Dawn Penn,
Ituana,
Aaron Thompson,
Yellowson,
Qualms,
Au Pairs,
Harpers Bizarre,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Mad Mike,
Rufus Thomas,
Darondo,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Intrusion,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Fad Gadget,
Neil Young,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Roger Hodgson,
Judy Mowatt,
Rotary Connection,
Con Funk Shun,
Wolf Eyes,
Soft Cell,
Flamin' Groovies,
Donald Byrd,
The Happenings,
Supertramp,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Fela Kuti,
China Crisis,
Amazonics,
Deadbeat,
Reagan Youth,
The Cramps,
Delon & Dalcan,
Sexual Harrassment,
Subhumans,
the Slits,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Johnny Osbourne,
Eric Dolphy,
Little Man,
Fugazi,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Busters,
Graham Central Station,
Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp.
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.