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 Lesotho and from Columbus.
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 1964 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Mandrill to the rap kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Eyeless In Gaza. All the underground hits.
All Roy Ayers Ubiquity tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every ABBA 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a D'Angelo record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rhythm & Sound,
Rites of Spring,
The American Breed,
Minor Threat,
World's Most,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Grass Roots,
June Days,
Fear,
Heaven 17,
The Techniques,
Thompson Twins,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
the Soft Cell,
The Dirtbombs,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Pole,
CMW,
Eric B and Rakim,
D'Angelo,
Crime,
Juan Atkins,
A Certain Ratio,
David Axelrod,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Blake Baxter,
Q and Not U,
Model 500,
Soft Cell,
Little Man,
Scientists,
Avey Tare,
Yellowson,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Alphaville,
Deadbeat,
Essential Logic,
Amon Düül,
Brothers Johnson,
Accadde A,
Curtis Mayfield,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Subhumans,
Grauzone,
The Birthday Party,
Los Fastidios,
Fugazi,
Sun City Girls,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
New Age Steppers,
Slave,
Qualms,
The Remains,
Organ,
Second Layer,
Pylon,
Bill Wells,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Howard Jones, Howard Jones, Howard Jones, Howard Jones.
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.