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 Cuba and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1963 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 snare 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 Wings to the crunk 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 Soul Sonic Force. All the underground hits.
All The Raincoats tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every T.S.O.L. record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Slits record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
UT,
Main Source,
The Evens,
Kayak,
Newcleus,
The Names,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Second Layer,
Connie Case,
Fela Kuti,
the Normal,
Von Mondo,
MDC,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Jerry's Kids,
Curtis Mayfield,
X-Ray Spex,
John Cale,
Wings,
Au Pairs,
Crispian St. Peters,
Nico,
Roy Ayers,
Black Pus,
Zapp,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
the Human League,
10cc,
EPMD,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Camberwell Now,
John Foxx,
The Happenings,
Visage,
Underground Resistance,
Pharoah Sanders,
Joensuu 1685,
Dark Day,
Sex Pistols,
Tropical Tobacco,
New Age Steppers,
The Cramps,
Rosa Yemen,
Outsiders,
The Fugs,
Prince Buster,
Boz Scaggs,
Deakin,
Shoche,
Boredoms,
Beasts of Bourbon,
This Heat,
Nas,
Rufus Thomas,
Duran Duran,
Intrusion,
Johnny Clarke,
Make Up,
Arthur Verocai,
Pylon,
Pere Ubu,
OOIOO,
Nick Fraelich, Nick Fraelich, Nick Fraelich, Nick Fraelich.
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.