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 Antigua and from Woodstock.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron show in Detroit.
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 1965 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 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 Rakim to the funk 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 T. Rex. All the underground hits.
All Scientists tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Average White Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Make Up record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
T. Rex,
Sarah Menescal,
Wire,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Minor Threat,
Oblivians,
Gang Starr,
Lakeside,
Magma,
Fear,
The Black Dice,
Kenny Larkin,
Maurizio,
Marine Girls,
Blancmange,
The Red Krayola,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Fugazi,
Dual Sessions,
Idris Muhammad,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Godley & Creme,
Curtis Mayfield,
Nick Fraelich,
Clear Light,
Chris & Cosey,
Bronski Beat,
The Gories,
Zero Boys,
Ice-T,
Scan 7,
Michelle Simonal,
Eve St. Jones,
Robert Wyatt,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Urselle,
Fatback Band,
The Last Poets,
Sight & Sound,
Reuben Wilson,
Carl Craig,
Masters at Work,
the Germs,
Pierre Henry,
Shoche,
Au Pairs,
Warsaw,
Flash Fearless,
Glambeats Corp.,
U.S. Maple,
Jerry's Kids,
Underground Resistance,
Archie Shepp,
Jeff Lynne,
the Human League,
Drive Like Jehu,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Amon Düül,
Cal Tjader,
Panda Bear,
T.S.O.L.,
Josef K, Josef K, Josef K, Josef K.
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.