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 Mauritius and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1961 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 Nile Rodgers 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 Johnny Clarke to the techno kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Rekid. All the underground hits.
All Pharoah Sanders tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Real Kids record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a F. McDonald record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jimmy McGriff,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Ralphi Rosario,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Tim Buckley,
The Angels of Light,
John Cale,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
The Evens,
Aaron Thompson,
Anthony Braxton,
Moss Icon,
Gil Scott Heron,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
A Certain Ratio,
Qualms,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Underground Resistance,
Lalo Schifrin,
48th St. Collective,
John Foxx,
Negative Approach,
Henry Cow,
Barrington Levy,
Juan Atkins,
Hashim,
Big Daddy Kane,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Pierre Henry,
Bang On A Can,
Pantytec,
the Soft Cell,
Kaleidoscope,
World's Most,
Byron Stingily,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Fear,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Brass Construction,
Suburban Knight,
Kayak,
Newcleus,
Grauzone,
Cecil Taylor,
Moby Grape,
The Blues Magoos,
Ossler,
Boz Scaggs,
Black Pus,
Agent Orange,
R.M.O.,
Wire,
Bill Wells,
T. Rex,
Spoonie Gee,
The Fortunes,
Bill Near,
The Star Department,
Youth Brigade,
Japan,
Kool Moe Dee,
Max Romeo,
Sun Ra,
Joyce Sims, Joyce Sims, Joyce Sims, Joyce Sims.
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.