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 Tonga and from Halifax.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Roy Ayers to the rock kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Bad Manners. All the underground hits.
All Jacques Brel tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Royal Trux 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eurythmics,
John Coltrane,
Al Stewart,
Mr. Review,
Visage,
Soulsonic Force,
Robert Hood,
The Dead C,
Kevin Saunderson,
Charles Mingus,
Lalo Schifrin,
Loose Ends,
Crispian St. Peters,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Sight & Sound,
Brick,
Simply Red,
Goldenarms,
Gang Gang Dance,
Minor Threat,
Whodini,
R.M.O.,
Scan 7,
Bluetip,
The Star Department,
Donald Byrd,
Traffic Nightmare,
Hot Snakes,
Vainqueur,
Deepchord,
The Offenders,
Agent Orange,
Harpers Bizarre,
ABBA,
the Slits,
Nico,
Circle Jerks,
Ice-T,
Mad Mike,
Youth Brigade,
Radio Birdman,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Victims,
Cybotron,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Dirtbombs,
Pet Shop Boys,
Stereo Dub,
Marshall Jefferson,
Lalann,
Brand Nubian,
Excepter,
Zapp,
Cabaret Voltaire,
the Normal,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Qualms,
Ornette Coleman,
Lou Christie,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
The Monochrome Set,
Kool Moe Dee,
Camberwell Now, Camberwell Now, Camberwell Now, Camberwell Now.
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.