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 Uganda and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 Nile Rodgers 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 Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme to the funk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Q65. All the underground hits.
All Public Enemy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lalo Schifrin record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Grauzone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Graham Central Station,
The Skatalites,
Todd Terry,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Neu!,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Move,
Suicide,
Yellowson,
The Searchers,
The Techniques,
Sly & The Family Stone,
OOIOO,
Blossom Toes,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Seeds,
Terry Callier,
Liliput,
Robert Wyatt,
Sixth Finger,
Stiv Bators,
Buzzcocks,
Kaleidoscope,
Ponytail,
Roy Ayers,
Rotary Connection,
Quadrant,
The Five Americans,
The Blackbyrds,
Agitation Free,
Ronan,
Frankie Knuckles,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Idris Muhammad,
E-Dancer,
ABC,
Todd Rundgren,
The Remains,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Scan 7,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Invisible,
Goldenarms,
Boz Scaggs,
Lebanon Hanover,
JFA,
Basic Channel,
Talk Talk,
Jeff Mills,
Jawbox,
Flipper,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Kinks,
Barbara Tucker,
Bronski Beat,
Young Marble Giants,
Joensuu 1685,
Gong,
Adolescents,
Danielle Patucci,
Peter & Gordon,
Toni Rubio,
Masters at Work, Masters at Work, Masters at Work, Masters at Work.
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.