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 Peru and from Shanghai.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the guitar 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 cv313 to the disco kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Rufus Thomas. All the underground hits.
All Trumans Water tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sex Pistols record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Fela Kuti record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Connie Case,
Moebius,
Eve St. Jones,
Johnny Clarke,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Glenn Branca,
The Dead C,
Yusef Lateef,
Judy Mowatt,
Pulsallama,
Tom Boy,
Nick Fraelich,
The Golliwogs,
Hoover,
The Sound,
Simply Red,
Ohio Players,
Alphaville,
The Moody Blues,
Panda Bear,
The Count Five,
The Fugs,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Cluster,
Easy Going,
Subhumans,
Radio Birdman,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
8 Eyed Spy,
Scratch Acid,
Neil Young,
Gang of Four,
Johnny Osbourne,
Depeche Mode,
Sex Pistols,
Sonic Youth,
Fear,
Marmalade,
Dennis Brown,
Sugar Minott,
Metal Thangz,
The Standells,
London Community Gospel Choir,
The Buckinghams,
DJ Style,
Wally Richardson,
Franke,
Hashim,
The Move,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Second Layer,
Moby Grape,
Rekid,
New York Dolls,
Half Japanese,
Black Moon,
Althea and Donna,
The Seeds,
Lou Christie,
Barbara Tucker,
Joensuu 1685,
Janne Schatter,
Mr. Review, Mr. Review, Mr. Review, Mr. Review.
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.