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 Mozambique and from Beijing.
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 1969 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the theremin 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 Joe Finger to the crunk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Bush Tetras. All the underground hits.
All The Happenings tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every PIL record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a a-ha record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Arcadia,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Skarface,
the Slits,
Joyce Sims,
Vladislav Delay,
Barclay James Harvest,
B.T. Express,
Bauhaus,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
The Happenings,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Clear Light,
Essential Logic,
Man Eating Sloth,
New Order,
Royal Trux,
Alphaville,
Minnie Riperton,
Frankie Knuckles,
Lalann,
Shoche,
Albert Ayler,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Eric Copeland,
Tres Demented,
Mars,
Nas,
Lou Reed,
Bang On A Can,
The Velvet Underground,
Archie Shepp,
Chrome,
Scientists,
Gabor Szabo,
Spoonie Gee,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Angry Samoans,
Pantytec,
Barry Ungar,
The Gladiators,
Shuggie Otis,
Nik Kershaw,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Tubeway Army,
New York Dolls,
Maurizio,
Technova,
Sonic Youth,
Young Marble Giants,
Marshall Jefferson,
Dennis Brown,
Spandau Ballet,
The Blackbyrds,
Erasure,
Schoolly D,
Tomorrow,
Stetsasonic,
Sight & Sound,
Loose Ends, Loose Ends, Loose Ends, Loose Ends.
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.