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 Togo and from Hong Kong.
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 1963 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the snare 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 Crispy Ambulance to the crunk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Gang Starr. All the underground hits.
All Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Red Krayola record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 Reagan Youth record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Black Sheep,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Howard Jones,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Leaves,
Aswad,
The Moody Blues,
Rakim,
Black Bananas,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Jandek,
Lou Reed,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
One Last Wish,
Gichy Dan,
The Alarm Clocks,
Oneida,
Curtis Mayfield,
48th St. Collective,
Silicon Teens,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Qualms,
Jawbox,
The Busters,
The Cramps,
Archie Shepp,
Janne Schatter,
June Days,
Aloha Tigers,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Mantronix,
Carl Craig,
Easy Going,
Sun Ra,
The Kinks,
Donny Hathaway,
Cal Tjader,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
MC5,
Cecil Taylor,
Marshall Jefferson,
Davy DMX,
Oblivians,
the Association,
Wire,
Fugazi,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Drive Like Jehu,
Liliput,
Parry Music,
The Saints,
Wasted Youth,
Kas Product,
Intrusion,
Bizarre Inc.,
Susan Cadogan,
Pylon,
Rod Modell,
Arthur Verocai,
DNA,
Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Flash.
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.