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 Burkina and from Calgary.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Eric Dolphy to the funk 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 Amon Düül. All the underground hits.
All Lou Reed & John Cale tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Magma 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rites of Spring record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mandrill,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Kurtis Blow,
Dorothy Ashby,
Eric B and Rakim,
Gang Gang Dance,
Barry Ungar,
Icehouse,
the Bar-Kays,
Robert Wyatt,
8 Eyed Spy,
Funky Four + One,
Steve Hackett,
Lyres,
Swell Maps,
Slick Rick,
Soft Cell,
Dawn Penn,
Chrome,
Rapeman,
Lalo Schifrin,
Jeff Mills,
Isaac Hayes,
Kayak,
The Skatalites,
Jacques Brel,
Reuben Wilson,
La Düsseldorf,
Avey Tare,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Deepchord,
Letta Mbulu,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
The Martian,
David McCallum,
Bush Tetras,
The Count Five,
Altered Images,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Fad Gadget,
Bobby Byrd,
Marvin Gaye,
Flipper,
Vainqueur,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Mo-Dettes,
Fugazi,
Lucky Dragons,
Throbbing Gristle,
Shuggie Otis,
Amazonics,
Soul Sonic Force,
Sugar Minott,
Blancmange,
the Fania All-Stars,
Flamin' Groovies,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Hasil Adkins,
Niagra,
The Fortunes,
Derrick May,
Ronan,
Moss Icon,
Neu!, Neu!, Neu!, Neu!.
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.