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 East Timor and from Delhi.
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 1962 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Theoretical Girls to the jazz 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 The Monochrome Set. All the underground hits.
All Von Mondo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Reagan Youth record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 an arpeggiator and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Depeche Mode record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Erykah Badu,
Spoonie Gee,
Al Stewart,
Wasted Youth,
Television,
Ronan,
The Neon Judgement,
Colin Newman,
Ten City,
Adolescents,
Fluxion,
Black Flag,
Subhumans,
Ice-T,
The Red Krayola,
Schoolly D,
Scott Walker,
ABC,
Joensuu 1685,
Cymande,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Curtis Mayfield,
The Sound,
D'Angelo,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
the Bar-Kays,
Max Romeo,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Khruangbin,
The Doors,
June Days,
Joe Smooth,
The Durutti Column,
A Certain Ratio,
Oneida,
Harpers Bizarre,
Public Image Ltd.,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Johnny Clarke,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Tom Boy,
Ohio Players,
Easy Going,
The Victims,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Godley & Creme,
Dave Gahan,
L. Decosne,
Brass Construction,
Audionom,
Nils Olav,
Nico,
Porter Ricks,
Tommy Roe,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
X-101,
The Fire Engines,
Radiopuhelimet,
Dark Day,
Barbara Tucker,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Sun Ra, Sun Ra, Sun Ra, Sun Ra.
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.