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 Nepal and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 mellotron 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 Richard Hell and the Voidoids to the disco kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Mission of Burma. All the underground hits.
All Rites of Spring tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Oblivians 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marcia Griffiths record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Gil Scott Heron,
Rhythm & Sound,
Gichy Dan,
Lucky Dragons,
Frankie Knuckles,
K-Klass,
Hashim,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Tommy Roe,
Donald Byrd,
Tim Buckley,
Tubeway Army,
Heaven 17,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Saccharine Trust,
the Bar-Kays,
Charles Mingus,
Harry Pussy,
Alice Coltrane,
Matthew Bourne,
48th St. Collective,
Adolescents,
Soul Sonic Force,
Cheater Slicks,
Joey Negro,
Electric Prunes,
Pantytec,
The Velvet Underground,
Marshall Jefferson,
OOIOO,
Barry Ungar,
Gabor Szabo,
Tomorrow,
the Normal,
The Count Five,
Pole,
Kaleidoscope,
Fluxion,
The Grass Roots,
Fear,
Stetsasonic,
PIL,
Bob Dylan,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
The American Breed,
Can,
Nas,
Isaac Hayes,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Kayak,
Severed Heads,
The Moleskins,
Theoretical Girls,
Don Cherry,
Kerri Chandler,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins.
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.