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 Guinea-Bissau and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 organ 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 Oppenheimer Analysis to the grime kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Fifty Foot Hose. All the underground hits.
All Severed Heads tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Richard Hell and the Voidoids 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lyres record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Zeros,
Fad Gadget,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Arthur Verocai,
Nick Fraelich,
Jawbox,
John Coltrane,
Rotary Connection,
Amon Düül II,
Shoche,
The Detroit Cobras,
Derrick Morgan,
Marcia Griffiths,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Monks,
Eli Mardock,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Bill Near,
Chris & Cosey,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Pantaleimon,
The Gladiators,
Mandrill,
Zapp,
Von Mondo,
The Electric Prunes,
The Skatalites,
H. Thieme,
John Holt,
PIL,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Hot Snakes,
Joensuu 1685,
The American Breed,
Heaven 17,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Amon Düül,
Yaz,
New Age Steppers,
Derrick May,
The Smiths,
Rekid,
Lakeside,
The Moody Blues,
Spoonie Gee,
Radio Birdman,
Kas Product,
Sound Behaviour,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Boz Scaggs,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Rosa Yemen,
Vainqueur,
Flipper,
Absolute Body Control,
Ken Boothe,
Soulsonic Force,
Grauzone,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Spandau Ballet,
Sister Nancy,
Tears for Fears, Tears for Fears, Tears for Fears, Tears for Fears.
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.