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 Moldova and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic 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 1967 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Glasgow.
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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Wire to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 New Age Steppers. All the underground hits.
All Heaven 17 tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Zeros 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 808 and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rotary Connection record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rufus Thomas,
Nico,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Animal Collective,
Yusef Lateef,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Easy Going,
Magazine,
Alton Ellis,
Moebius,
June Days,
Josef K,
Donny Hathaway,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Soul Sonic Force,
Cal Tjader,
MDC,
Joe Smooth,
John Holt,
The Raincoats,
Eddi Front,
Terry Callier,
Parry Music,
James White and The Blacks,
Tommy Roe,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Mummies,
Negative Approach,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Warren Ellis,
The Electric Prunes,
EPMD,
The Evens,
Joyce Sims,
The Invisible,
Brothers Johnson,
The Standells,
Young Marble Giants,
Toni Rubio,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Public Image Ltd.,
Excepter,
Ponytail,
Harry Pussy,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Sparks,
Trumans Water,
New York Dolls,
John Foxx,
The Slits,
Fela Kuti,
Dual Sessions,
Con Funk Shun,
The Flesh Eaters,
Altered Images,
The Martian,
the Association,
The Durutti Column,
Technova,
Bobby Byrd,
Chris & Cosey, Chris & Cosey, Chris & Cosey, Chris & Cosey.
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.