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 Bahamas and from Philadelphia.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Lalo Schifrin to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Sarah Menescal. All the underground hits.
All Hot Snakes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Names record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Tropical Tobacco,
The Selecter,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Sun City Girls,
Carl Craig,
Lyres,
The Count Five,
New Age Steppers,
Severed Heads,
The Gladiators,
Maleditus Sound,
Henry Cow,
Gichy Dan,
Amazonics,
The Shadows of Knight,
Au Pairs,
Eyeless In Gaza,
One Last Wish,
Absolute Body Control,
Al Stewart,
Bluetip,
Davy DMX,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
The New Christs,
The Barracudas,
Chris & Cosey,
Jacob Miller,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Vladislav Delay,
The Velvet Underground,
Barrington Levy,
Yusef Lateef,
The Slits,
The Young Rascals,
Adolescents,
Donny Hathaway,
Gang Green,
Massinfluence,
John Coltrane,
Gong,
The Standells,
Rhythm & Sound,
Anakelly,
The Techniques,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Babytalk,
X-101,
Television Personalities,
Letta Mbulu,
Sun Ra,
Zero Boys,
Sonic Youth,
The United States of America,
Alison Limerick,
Mad Mike,
Monks,
JFA,
Negative Approach,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh.
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.