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 Malaysia and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 Lagos and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 spring reverb 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 The Sonics to the electroclash kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Absolute Body Control. All the underground hits.
All Camouflage tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dark Day record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s 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 The Motions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Walker Brothers,
Michelle Simonal,
The Searchers,
Oneida,
T. Rex,
Dawn Penn,
Dead Boys,
The Birthday Party,
Hoover,
the Sonics,
Sparks,
Livin' Joy,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Glambeats Corp.,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Adolescents,
Tom Boy,
Ultimate Spinach,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Sonny Sharrock,
Quadrant,
Buzzcocks,
Kool Moe Dee,
Scientists,
Nils Olav,
The Martian,
Amon Düül,
The Associates,
Banda Bassotti,
The Sonics,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Goldenarms,
Quando Quango,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Excepter,
Lyres,
Anakelly,
Erykah Badu,
Silicon Teens,
Joey Negro,
Main Source,
Television Personalities,
The Trojans,
MDC,
The Victims,
Negative Approach,
Sun City Girls,
Arcadia,
Nirvana,
Charles Mingus,
La Düsseldorf,
Alphaville,
U.S. Maple,
Gichy Dan,
Pet Shop Boys,
Robert Görl,
Rekid,
Gang Gang Dance,
Drive Like Jehu,
Reuben Wilson,
Donny Hathaway,
Ornette Coleman,
Agitation Free, Agitation Free, Agitation Free, Agitation Free.
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.