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 Papua New Guinea and from Manila.
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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Jeru the Damaja to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Electric Prunes. All the underground hits.
All Johnny Osbourne tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nas 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rapeman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Qualms,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Kinks,
Duran Duran,
Clear Light,
Sonic Youth,
Barclay James Harvest,
Terrestrial Tones,
The Star Department,
Au Pairs,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Selecter,
Bill Near,
Josef K,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
The Busters,
Jeff Mills,
Skaos,
Franke,
Reuben Wilson,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Drive Like Jehu,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Basic Channel,
the Association,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Wire,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Gabor Szabo,
Buzzcocks,
The Cowsills,
Bad Manners,
Television Personalities,
Davy DMX,
Pagans,
Das Ding,
Morten Harket,
Tres Demented,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Peter and Kerry,
Warren Ellis,
Accadde A,
LL Cool J,
Mantronix,
June of 44,
Heaven 17,
Japan,
AZ,
Boogie Down Productions,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Sixth Finger,
Newcleus,
Intrusion,
Bobby Sherman,
Nas,
Soft Machine,
The Standells,
Boredoms,
Flamin' Groovies,
Al Stewart, Al Stewart, Al Stewart, Al Stewart.
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.