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 Mauritania and from Mumbai.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Tres Demented to the grime kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Aaron Thompson. All the underground hits.
All Grandmaster Flash tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Silicon Teens record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tim Buckley record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
David Bowie,
The Moleskins,
a-ha,
Gabor Szabo,
Neil Young,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Technova,
Cameo,
The Angels of Light,
Big Daddy Kane,
China Crisis,
Rekid,
Pantytec,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Au Pairs,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Fela Kuti,
Boogie Down Productions,
Josef K,
Sarah Menescal,
The Smiths,
Electric Prunes,
Gang Gang Dance,
Glambeats Corp.,
Mark Hollis,
Icehouse,
The Red Krayola,
Wire,
The Pop Group,
Curtis Mayfield,
Gang of Four,
Interpol,
Quadrant,
Spandau Ballet,
Isaac Hayes,
Eric Dolphy,
The Doors,
Soft Machine,
Roger Hodgson,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Simply Red,
Soft Cell,
Gang Starr,
Subhumans,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Japan,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Black Bananas,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Traffic Nightmare,
Grauzone,
The Gories,
Inner City,
Eric B and Rakim,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Amon Düül,
Byron Stingily,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Brand Nubian,
The Motions, The Motions, The Motions, The Motions.
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.