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 Somalia and from Edmonton.
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 1965 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Manila.
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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Moleskins to the techno kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Lindisfarne. All the underground hits.
All Khruangbin tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Darondo record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 chamberlin and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Thompson Twins record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Schoolly D,
Franke,
Jeff Mills,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Lucky Dragons,
Average White Band,
Rapeman,
Essential Logic,
Hasil Adkins,
Jimmy McGriff,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
John Foxx,
Warsaw,
The Selecter,
The Dirtbombs,
Jawbox,
Delon & Dalcan,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Evens,
Fluxion,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Scientists,
Brass Construction,
Idris Muhammad,
Black Sheep,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
The Sonics,
The Cure,
Sonic Youth,
Camouflage,
Matthew Halsall,
Ken Boothe,
Ossler,
Groovy Waters,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Scott Walker,
Grauzone,
The Toasters,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Albert Ayler,
Michelle Simonal,
Susan Cadogan,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Roxy Music,
Carl Craig,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Marine Girls,
These Immortal Souls,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
cv313,
Minnie Riperton,
The Motions,
CMW,
Eric Copeland,
Reagan Youth,
Fela Kuti,
Rakim,
Cheater Slicks,
Spandau Ballet, Spandau Ballet, Spandau Ballet, Spandau Ballet.
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.