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 Taiwan and from Houston.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the marimba 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 Jerry's Kids to the punk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 cv313. All the underground hits.
All the Swans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Main Source record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Terry Callier record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Barclay James Harvest,
Aswad,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Nils Olav,
Johnny Clarke,
Judy Mowatt,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
China Crisis,
Marc Almond,
Ken Boothe,
Royal Trux,
Josef K,
Barry Ungar,
Jimmy McGriff,
The Cowsills,
Tomorrow,
Inner City,
June Days,
48th St. Collective,
Subhumans,
E-Dancer,
Neil Young,
Crash Course in Science,
JFA,
Kerri Chandler,
Jawbox,
Michelle Simonal,
L. Decosne,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Bob Dylan,
The Modern Lovers,
Roger Hodgson,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Scion,
Mad Mike,
Faust,
Chris Corsano,
Symarip,
Con Funk Shun,
The Star Department,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Lightning Bolt,
Silicon Teens,
OOIOO,
Crooked Eye,
Albert Ayler,
Soul II Soul,
Pet Shop Boys,
Warren Ellis,
John Lydon,
Au Pairs,
Skriet,
UT,
Porter Ricks,
Aloha Tigers,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Max Romeo,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Sam Rivers,
Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth.
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.