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 Poland and from Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 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 Lou Reed & John Cale to the jazz 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 The Move. All the underground hits.
All Sandy B tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Chocolate Watch Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Joy Division record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Jandek,
Wire,
Harry Pussy,
Zapp,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Residents,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Tubeway Army,
Carl Craig,
Danielle Patucci,
Robert Görl,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Gories,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Index,
Suburban Knight,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Faraquet,
DJ Style,
CMW,
Tom Boy,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Tomorrow,
The Neon Judgement,
Newcleus,
Simply Red,
Pantytec,
Harpers Bizarre,
Faust,
Graham Central Station,
Altered Images,
Mad Mike,
Kevin Saunderson,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Soft Cell,
Animal Collective,
Royal Trux,
Urselle,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Lebanon Hanover,
The New Christs,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Yusef Lateef,
The Cowsills,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Gastr Del Sol,
Con Funk Shun,
Crispian St. Peters,
Yaz,
The Techniques,
Minnie Riperton,
The Smiths,
Kenny Larkin,
Flamin' Groovies,
Moebius,
Tommy Roe,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
the Fania All-Stars,
Quando Quango, Quando Quango, Quando Quango, Quando Quango.
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.