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 Micronesia and from Seoul.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and Bologna.
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 1987 at the first Nirvana practice in a loft in Seattle.
I was working on the synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 De La Soul & Jungle Brothers 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 Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme. All the underground hits.
All Livin' Joy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Oneida record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Basic Channel record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
The Litter,
The Doobie Brothers,
Scion,
Niagra,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Delta 5,
Urselle,
F. McDonald,
Stereo Dub,
Pantaleimon,
Aural Exciters,
New York Dolls,
Archie Shepp,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Barrington Levy,
Das Ding,
Don Cherry,
Ultra Naté,
10cc,
Todd Rundgren,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Sparks,
the Bar-Kays,
Eden Ahbez,
The Buckinghams,
Aloha Tigers,
Thompson Twins,
Maleditus Sound,
H. Thieme,
Soul II Soul,
Oblivians,
Desert Stars,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Lou Christie,
Monks,
Flash Fearless,
Maurizio,
48th St. Collective,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The Pretty Things,
Ronan,
Hasil Adkins,
MDC,
Zero Boys,
Black Pus,
The Vogues,
Max Romeo,
Joey Negro,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
John Coltrane,
Ralphi Rosario,
Von Mondo,
John Cale,
Reagan Youth,
Minutemen,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Minnie Riperton,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
The Star Department,
Danielle Patucci, Danielle Patucci, Danielle Patucci, Danielle Patucci.
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.