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 Turkey and from Delhi.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1960 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 harpsichord 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 Kas Product to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 David Axelrod. All the underground hits.
All Bang on a Can All-Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Faraquet 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a U.S. Maple record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
the Slits,
Rod Modell,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Los Fastidios,
Marvin Gaye,
Y Pants,
a-ha,
Man Parrish,
PIL,
Babytalk,
Supertramp,
The Young Rascals,
Judy Mowatt,
OOIOO,
Nick Fraelich,
Drexciya,
Josef K,
Unwound,
Ultimate Spinach,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Von Mondo,
Ralphi Rosario,
Index,
Chris & Cosey,
The Velvet Underground,
The Move,
Sister Nancy,
Rhythm & Sound,
The Red Krayola,
Mantronix,
Idris Muhammad,
D'Angelo,
Eric B and Rakim,
Lindisfarne,
Michelle Simonal,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
the Normal,
Mad Mike,
Harpers Bizarre,
8 Eyed Spy,
F. McDonald,
Glenn Branca,
Mo-Dettes,
Barclay James Harvest,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Cameo,
The Gun Club,
Hasil Adkins,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Nas,
Bill Wells,
Technova,
New York Dolls,
Desert Stars,
Deakin,
Gang Gang Dance,
Jacques Brel,
Lucky Dragons,
Banda Bassotti,
The Cowsills, The Cowsills, The Cowsills, The Cowsills.
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.