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 Comoros and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1961 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Iggy Pop to the punk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Colin Newman. All the underground hits.
All Kool Moe Dee tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nico record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 an arpeggiator and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lou Reed record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Reuben Wilson,
Davy DMX,
OOIOO,
Outsiders,
Lindisfarne,
Camberwell Now,
Arab on Radar,
Scientists,
the Association,
Cal Tjader,
Yusef Lateef,
the Germs,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Tom Boy,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Boredoms,
Severed Heads,
Unwound,
Brothers Johnson,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Gang Starr,
Fugazi,
the Human League,
The Busters,
Ossler,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Supertramp,
Franke,
The Smoke,
Roger Hodgson,
Joe Smooth,
Grey Daturas,
Pussy Galore,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Soft Cell,
Tommy Roe,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Gerry Rafferty,
The Star Department,
Fatback Band,
Toni Rubio,
Agent Orange,
Pantaleimon,
Basic Channel,
Scratch Acid,
Make Up,
Alison Limerick,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Crime,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Q65,
Los Fastidios,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Mad Mike,
Patti Smith,
Bush Tetras,
Cameo,
The Skatalites,
Desert Stars,
Flipper,
Scott Walker,
Marine Girls, Marine Girls, Marine Girls, Marine Girls.
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.