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 Qatar and from Accra.
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 1963 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Sight & Sound to the dance 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 Mandrill. All the underground hits.
All Quantec tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kool Moe Dee record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 linndrum and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Subhumans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Boredoms,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
The Happenings,
The Motions,
Judy Mowatt,
Thompson Twins,
Young Marble Giants,
the Sonics,
The Residents,
The Searchers,
Marvin Gaye,
Television Personalities,
Severed Heads,
Desert Stars,
Pharoah Sanders,
La Düsseldorf,
Neil Young,
Boogie Down Productions,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
The Cramps,
Moss Icon,
The New Christs,
Ultimate Spinach,
Josef K,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Letta Mbulu,
The Gap Band,
Icehouse,
Gang Green,
Archie Shepp,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Crispian St. Peters,
Scan 7,
The Smoke,
Magazine,
Deakin,
Lalo Schifrin,
Radio Birdman,
Althea and Donna,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Anakelly,
Soulsonic Force,
Rufus Thomas,
Joensuu 1685,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Eddi Front,
Throbbing Gristle,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Skaos,
Gang of Four,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Surgeon,
The Young Rascals,
MC5,
Sight & Sound,
Kas Product,
Man Parrish,
Smog,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
The Music Machine,
New Age Steppers,
Minny Pops, Minny Pops, Minny Pops, Minny Pops.
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.