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 South Sudan and from Hong Kong.
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 1966 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Freddie Wadling. All the underground hits.
All Be Bop Deluxe tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Martian 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Chocolate Watch Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Monochrome Set,
Mantronix,
Grey Daturas,
Erasure,
Isaac Hayes,
Sällskapet,
Hardrive,
The Fugs,
Mr. Review,
Tommy Roe,
Joe Finger,
Bobby Sherman,
E-Dancer,
The Five Americans,
John Foxx,
Ronnie Foster,
Lalann,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Girls At Our Best!,
Trumans Water,
Gil Scott Heron,
Kas Product,
Duran Duran,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Rosa Yemen,
Pantaleimon,
Roy Ayers,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Minny Pops,
8 Eyed Spy,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Graham Central Station,
Dark Day,
Ultra Naté,
Ultravox,
Archie Shepp,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
EPMD,
B.T. Express,
Todd Terry,
The Durutti Column,
T. Rex,
The Move,
The Beau Brummels,
Severed Heads,
These Immortal Souls,
Arcadia,
Sarah Menescal,
Index,
In Retrospect,
Juan Atkins,
Bobby Byrd,
the Fania All-Stars,
Agent Orange,
L. Decosne,
Cecil Taylor,
Slick Rick,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Seeds,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Bad Manners,
Mission of Burma,
Avey Tare, Avey Tare, Avey Tare, Avey Tare.
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.