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 Colombia and from Seoul.
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 1969 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Standells to the grunge 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 Joey Negro. All the underground hits.
All Eve St. Jones tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Flag 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Busters record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
New Age Steppers,
JFA,
Hashim,
The Selecter,
Graham Central Station,
Soul Sonic Force,
Bad Manners,
Jerry's Kids,
The Wake,
Bobby Byrd,
Derrick May,
The Smiths,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Bill Wells,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Invisible,
The Smoke,
Albert Ayler,
Wire,
Silicon Teens,
La Düsseldorf,
Scion,
L. Decosne,
Spoonie Gee,
Morten Harket,
F. McDonald,
The Mojo Men,
Warren Ellis,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
The Names,
The Gladiators,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Interpol,
The Fire Engines,
Khruangbin,
John Foxx,
Grey Daturas,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Kinks,
Eden Ahbez,
E-Dancer,
Funkadelic,
Loose Ends,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
R.M.O.,
Bizarre Inc.,
Mark Hollis,
Mr. Review,
Sister Nancy,
Smog,
Kayak,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Bill Near,
The Sound,
Jawbox,
The Five Americans,
Howard Jones,
Charles Mingus,
Roy Ayers,
Flamin' Groovies,
Bauhaus, Bauhaus, Bauhaus, Bauhaus.
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.