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 Yemen and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1973.
I was there at the first Television 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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Country Joe & The Fish to the jazz kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Pantaleimon. All the underground hits.
All The Fortunes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Tomorrow record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 linndrum and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mary Jane Girls record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gang of Four,
Carl Craig,
Minny Pops,
Sun City Girls,
Susan Cadogan,
The Beau Brummels,
Skaos,
Mary Jane Girls,
Roger Hodgson,
Joe Finger,
Basic Channel,
the Human League,
Harpers Bizarre,
Yusef Lateef,
Parry Music,
Black Flag,
Janne Schatter,
Ronan,
Kerri Chandler,
The Modern Lovers,
Sam Rivers,
Visage,
Jeff Mills,
Audionom,
Aswad,
The Monochrome Set,
Jandek,
Qualms,
Sexual Harrassment,
The Misunderstood,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Archie Shepp,
Spoonie Gee,
The Angels of Light,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Dark Day,
the Swans,
Pet Shop Boys,
E-Dancer,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Essential Logic,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Rod Modell,
Terry Callier,
Skriet,
Robert Hood,
Rekid,
Scott Walker,
Von Mondo,
the Soft Cell,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Roy Ayers,
Derrick May,
Depeche Mode,
Icehouse,
Model 500,
Fat Boys,
Glambeats Corp.,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
La Düsseldorf,
Radio Birdman,
Mandrill, Mandrill, Mandrill, Mandrill.
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.