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 Tanzania and from Beijing.
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 Johannesburg and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Donald Byrd to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Michelle Simonal. All the underground hits.
All Lou Reed & John Cale tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sister Nancy 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Birthday Party record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Seeds,
Crispian St. Peters,
Ice-T,
Guru Guru,
Jerry's Kids,
Tommy Roe,
Flipper,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Model 500,
Throbbing Gristle,
Quando Quango,
Cameo,
Technova,
Excepter,
Symarip,
Jandek,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
kango's stein massive,
The Gories,
Derrick Morgan,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Electric Prunes,
Spoonie Gee,
The Star Department,
T. Rex,
Grauzone,
the Association,
The Toasters,
Boz Scaggs,
Pulsallama,
Bauhaus,
Bobby Byrd,
Bobbi Humphrey,
David Axelrod,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Sound Behaviour,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Iggy Pop,
The Doors,
Todd Terry,
Deadbeat,
Newcleus,
Minny Pops,
Loose Ends,
Radiohead,
Agitation Free,
Easy Going,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Judy Mowatt,
James White and The Blacks,
Blossom Toes,
the Swans,
Wolf Eyes,
The Kinks,
Anakelly,
Au Pairs,
Jimmy McGriff,
Kerrie Biddell,
Peter & Gordon,
The Monochrome Set,
Television Personalities,
Howard Jones,
Fluxion, Fluxion, Fluxion, Fluxion.
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.