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 Palau and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 sitar 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 Cal Tjader 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 Wally Richardson. All the underground hits.
All Fatback Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Max Romeo record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Swans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Standells,
The Leaves,
Con Funk Shun,
The American Breed,
Bang On A Can,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Quantec,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Cheater Slicks,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Lungfish,
Marvin Gaye,
Danielle Patucci,
The Smoke,
Erasure,
Kerrie Biddell,
Desert Stars,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Royal Trux,
Absolute Body Control,
Slick Rick,
Banda Bassotti,
Grauzone,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Gil Scott Heron,
David Bowie,
Tom Boy,
Crispy Ambulance,
Blossom Toes,
Hardrive,
Darondo,
Average White Band,
Soft Cell,
Joey Negro,
Clear Light,
Scan 7,
June Days,
Jacques Brel,
Soft Machine,
Terrestrial Tones,
Suicide,
Curtis Mayfield,
Henry Cow,
Ituana,
Country Teasers,
The Fortunes,
Q65,
the Swans,
Jeru the Damaja,
Ten City,
Derrick May,
The Velvet Underground,
Icehouse,
Inner City,
Q and Not U,
The Monks,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Tomorrow,
JFA,
Michelle Simonal, Michelle Simonal, Michelle Simonal, Michelle Simonal.
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.