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 Ukraine and from Bologna.
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 1966 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Bobby Sherman to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Yusef Lateef. All the underground hits.
All Lyres tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Scion record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 clarinet and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Shoche 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?
Ossler,
UT,
Jerry's Kids,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Stiv Bators,
Radio Birdman,
Jimmy McGriff,
Johnny Clarke,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Gang Gang Dance,
DJ Sneak,
Prince Buster,
Cheater Slicks,
The Cure,
Gang Starr,
The Real Kids,
The Cowsills,
Ultravox,
Reagan Youth,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Slits,
X-101,
Blossom Toes,
Bill Wells,
Toni Rubio,
8 Eyed Spy,
Tropical Tobacco,
Eric Dolphy,
Colin Newman,
Rakim,
The J.B.'s,
Lou Christie,
Todd Terry,
Soul Sonic Force,
Soft Machine,
Marcia Griffiths,
Rhythm & Sound,
The Flesh Eaters,
Fatback Band,
New Order,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Warren Ellis,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Ultimate Spinach,
Clear Light,
The Star Department,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Wings,
Lower 48,
the Human League,
Bill Near,
Vladislav Delay,
Bobby Sherman,
The Gladiators,
Easy Going,
The Evens,
The Searchers,
Gichy Dan,
Chrome,
Joensuu 1685,
Arthur Verocai,
Gregory Isaacs,
Sixth Finger, Sixth Finger, Sixth Finger, Sixth Finger.
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.