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 Bangladesh and from Delhi.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Copenhagen.
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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 The Kinks to the grunge 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 Joey Negro. All the underground hits.
All Rosa Yemen tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 clarinet and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Radio Birdman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Barracudas,
Sugar Minott,
Man Eating Sloth,
The Happenings,
Pagans,
Shuggie Otis,
10cc,
Nas,
Make Up,
Babytalk,
Brand Nubian,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Public Enemy,
Lungfish,
Negative Approach,
The Trojans,
John Holt,
Loose Ends,
Swans,
Gang of Four,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Crooked Eye,
The Smiths,
Public Image Ltd.,
Basic Channel,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Rotary Connection,
Clear Light,
Jerry's Kids,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Peter & Gordon,
Marvin Gaye,
Popol Vuh,
Gichy Dan,
Warsaw,
Scientists,
Pulsallama,
Eric B and Rakim,
Janne Schatter,
Parry Music,
Flash Fearless,
Chris & Cosey,
Derrick May,
Q65,
Bush Tetras,
Electric Prunes,
Juan Atkins,
F. McDonald,
Donald Byrd,
Brothers Johnson,
X-101,
the Fania All-Stars,
Susan Cadogan,
Kerrie Biddell,
K-Klass,
Sparks,
Sun City Girls,
The Slits,
The Techniques,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Panda Bear,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Mission of Burma,
Kerri Chandler, Kerri Chandler, Kerri Chandler, Kerri Chandler.
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.