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 Tanzania and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron show in Detroit.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 Donald Fagen 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 Magazine to the dance 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 ABC. All the underground hits.
All Bang on a Can All-Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Johnny Clarke record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Pop Group record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Fatback Band,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Birthday Party,
Gastr Del Sol,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Roxy Music,
The Standells,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Godley & Creme,
Todd Rundgren,
Jawbox,
10cc,
X-Ray Spex,
Lower 48,
LL Cool J,
MC5,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Peter and Kerry,
kango's stein massive,
Oblivians,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Lalo Schifrin,
Rhythm & Sound,
Monks,
Mars,
Avey Tare,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Guru Guru,
Man Parrish,
Stockholm Monsters,
The Skatalites,
Kayak,
Thompson Twins,
Scratch Acid,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Soft Machine,
Tomorrow,
Y Pants,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Pagans,
The Star Department,
Fear,
Robert Hood,
The Evens,
Rakim,
Sexual Harrassment,
Bronski Beat,
The Five Americans,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Model 500,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Q65,
Unwound,
Derrick Morgan,
Bob Dylan,
Ituana,
Traffic Nightmare,
Basic Channel,
Pussy Galore,
Camouflage,
Michelle Simonal,
The Golliwogs, The Golliwogs, The Golliwogs, The Golliwogs.
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.