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 Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1971 at the first Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the marimba 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 Rapeman to the rap 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 Todd Rundgren. All the underground hits.
All Aswad tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Groovy Waters record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 theremin and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Doobie Brothers record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Albert Ayler,
Severed Heads,
The Gap Band,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Y Pants,
Idris Muhammad,
Barry Ungar,
Traffic Nightmare,
Freddie Wadling,
Hashim,
The Last Poets,
Matthew Halsall,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Mission of Burma,
Malaria!,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Newcleus,
Q and Not U,
Bad Manners,
Babytalk,
R.M.O.,
Johnny Osbourne,
Jawbox,
Metal Thangz,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Stetsasonic,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Eddi Front,
Rhythm & Sound,
Cecil Taylor,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Duran Duran,
Tom Boy,
Ohio Players,
Black Pus,
Tommy Roe,
Flamin' Groovies,
Letta Mbulu,
The Dirtbombs,
Trumans Water,
London Community Gospel Choir,
The Remains,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Joe Finger,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Eric Dolphy,
Bobby Womack,
Carl Craig,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Slave,
Visage,
Public Enemy,
Drexciya,
Monks,
Pharoah Sanders,
Al Stewart,
David Bowie,
DJ Style,
Roxette,
Brass Construction,
Lower 48,
Vainqueur, Vainqueur, Vainqueur, Vainqueur.
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.