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 Sri Lanka and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the marimba 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 Animal Collective to the rock kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Joe Smooth. All the underground hits.
All Amon Düül tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rakim record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Buckinghams record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Qualms,
the Germs,
Henry Cow,
Grauzone,
EPMD,
Black Sheep,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Fire Engines,
Newcleus,
Make Up,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Eric B and Rakim,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Joy Division,
Jawbox,
Soft Cell,
Gang Gang Dance,
Reagan Youth,
Can,
Scion,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Ultra Naté,
Sonic Youth,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Chrome,
Eurythmics,
Matthew Halsall,
Second Layer,
Pharoah Sanders,
New Order,
Albert Ayler,
Black Moon,
James White and The Blacks,
Hot Snakes,
Supertramp,
B.T. Express,
The Standells,
Marshall Jefferson,
Joyce Sims,
The Dave Clark Five,
The Shadows of Knight,
Pole,
Moby Grape,
Marvin Gaye,
Kerrie Biddell,
Dual Sessions,
Tim Buckley,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Scan 7,
Kas Product,
Buzzcocks,
KRS-One,
Peter and Kerry,
Curtis Mayfield,
Spoonie Gee,
Yaz,
Smog,
The Birthday Party,
Laurel Aitken,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Banda Bassotti, Banda Bassotti, Banda Bassotti, Banda Bassotti.
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.