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 Australia and from Philadelphia.
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 1960 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the güiro 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 Nirvana to the disco kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Monolake. All the underground hits.
All 10cc tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every These Immortal Souls record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mo-Dettes record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Delta 5,
The Smoke,
Grandmaster Flash,
Don Cherry,
Yusef Lateef,
Eric B and Rakim,
Ronan,
Flash Fearless,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Alice Coltrane,
Alton Ellis,
Y Pants,
Clear Light,
The Human League,
Aloha Tigers,
Barrington Levy,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Slackers,
Man Eating Sloth,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Mad Mike,
Neu!,
Morten Harket,
Fat Boys,
Thee Headcoats,
the Fania All-Stars,
Simply Red,
Reagan Youth,
Amon Düül,
MC5,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Curtis Mayfield,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Blossom Toes,
Grey Daturas,
The Raincoats,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Hashim,
Vainqueur,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Interpol,
The Velvet Underground,
Eden Ahbez,
The Offenders,
Audionom,
Charles Mingus,
Andrew Hill,
The Gladiators,
Dave Gahan,
Scott Walker,
X-Ray Spex,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Davy DMX,
Darondo,
Judy Mowatt,
Masters at Work,
The Motions,
The Beau Brummels,
Icehouse,
Sparks,
Tom Boy,
Minny Pops, Minny Pops, Minny Pops, Minny Pops.
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.