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 Algeria and from Copenhagen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1965 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 sitar 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 Johnny Osbourne to the rock kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Simply Red. All the underground hits.
All Los Fastidios tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jerry's Kids 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Popol Vuh,
John Coltrane,
Brand Nubian,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Young Rascals,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Donald Byrd,
Alton Ellis,
Deadbeat,
Roger Hodgson,
Nick Fraelich,
Motorama,
June of 44,
Au Pairs,
Bobby Womack,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Technova,
Tommy Roe,
The Pop Group,
Country Teasers,
L. Decosne,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
E-Dancer,
Magazine,
Scientists,
The Divine Comedy,
The Vogues,
Eric Dolphy,
Radio Birdman,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Pulsallama,
Yusef Lateef,
Cecil Taylor,
Mary Jane Girls,
Heaven 17,
Jawbox,
Glambeats Corp.,
Boredoms,
Amazonics,
Half Japanese,
Eden Ahbez,
Pharoah Sanders,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
These Immortal Souls,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
The Raincoats,
Joensuu 1685,
Derrick May,
Pylon,
MC5,
The Five Americans,
Warren Ellis,
Royal Trux,
Harry Pussy,
Slave,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Joe Smooth,
Neu!,
Aaron Thompson,
Blossom Toes,
Visage,
Lindisfarne, Lindisfarne, Lindisfarne, Lindisfarne.
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.