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 Sudan and from Houston.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Beau Brummels to the jazz kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Hardrive. All the underground hits.
All Liaisons Dangereuses tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every June Days record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 mellotron and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Avey Tare record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
ABBA,
Aaron Thompson,
Sister Nancy,
Qualms,
Pantytec,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Rufus Thomas,
Kas Product,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Adolescents,
The Standells,
Crispian St. Peters,
Ice-T,
Bluetip,
Peter and Kerry,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Scientists,
Sugar Minott,
Jeru the Damaja,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Fela Kuti,
Kevin Saunderson,
DNA,
The Birthday Party,
Wings,
10cc,
the Slits,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
X-Ray Spex,
Byron Stingily,
The Mighty Diamonds,
New York Dolls,
Bang On A Can,
Scrapy,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Thompson Twins,
Mad Mike,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Smoke,
Echospace,
the Swans,
The Pretty Things,
Marvin Gaye,
Minnie Riperton,
Mo-Dettes,
The Dave Clark Five,
8 Eyed Spy,
Japan,
Q65,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Clear Light,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Rapeman,
Stetsasonic,
Brick,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Rhythm & Sound,
Symarip,
Todd Terry,
Silicon Teens, Silicon Teens, Silicon Teens, Silicon Teens.
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.