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 Samoa and from Woodstock.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Halifax 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell to the funk 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 Inner City. All the underground hits.
All Letta Mbulu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Tubeway Army record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 808 and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Black Sheep record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Bluetip,
Jerry's Kids,
Pussy Galore,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Amon Düül,
Rites of Spring,
Judy Mowatt,
Sonic Youth,
Lucky Dragons,
Mo-Dettes,
Sight & Sound,
Bad Manners,
Ronnie Foster,
The Smiths,
Ken Boothe,
The New Christs,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Eurythmics,
Clear Light,
Lakeside,
Second Layer,
Qualms,
Deakin,
Fear,
The Techniques,
The Fall,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Thee Headcoats,
Goldenarms,
Electric Prunes,
The Red Krayola,
Camberwell Now,
Neil Young,
Terrestrial Tones,
Gang Gang Dance,
Average White Band,
The Skatalites,
Ludus,
Black Bananas,
the Fania All-Stars,
Moby Grape,
Minutemen,
The Neon Judgement,
Rosa Yemen,
Supertramp,
The Zeros,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Ten City,
Robert Wyatt,
Groovy Waters,
Dead Boys,
Eddi Front,
Dennis Brown,
Intrusion,
Wasted Youth,
Barbara Tucker,
Von Mondo,
Theoretical Girls,
The Motions,
Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth.
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.