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 Uruguay and from Salvador.
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 1961 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Sex Pistols to the crunk 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 Terrestrial Tones. All the underground hits.
All Vainqueur tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sonic Youth record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Outsiders,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Alison Limerick,
Soul II Soul,
Tomorrow,
Simply Red,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Slits,
Motorama,
The Human League,
Scion,
Icehouse,
Monks,
Fugazi,
The Wake,
Nils Olav,
Michelle Simonal,
Sandy B,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Jeff Lynne,
Joyce Sims,
The Misunderstood,
The Standells,
Minny Pops,
Roy Ayers,
Gichy Dan,
Erykah Badu,
Quando Quango,
Gang Starr,
Vladislav Delay,
B.T. Express,
Ultimate Spinach,
Davy DMX,
Boz Scaggs,
Jandek,
Kerrie Biddell,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
T.S.O.L.,
FM Einheit,
Ossler,
The Kinks,
Silicon Teens,
The J.B.'s,
Adolescents,
The Toasters,
Blossom Toes,
Soft Machine,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Dawn Penn,
UT,
Yaz,
Blancmange,
Rites of Spring,
Joey Negro,
Underground Resistance,
Ken Boothe,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
X-101,
The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men.
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.