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 Libya and from Madrid.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Delhi.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Vaughan Mason & Crew to the funk 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 Ralphi Rosario. All the underground hits.
All Sugar Minott tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Pet Shop Boys 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Art Ensemble Of Chicago record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
June of 44,
The Grass Roots,
Tropical Tobacco,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Human League,
Grey Daturas,
Flash Fearless,
Ludus,
Gang Starr,
Warsaw,
Young Marble Giants,
Leonard Cohen,
Sällskapet,
Schoolly D,
Kenny Larkin,
Arab on Radar,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Inner City,
The Fall,
Eric Copeland,
The Cowsills,
Davy DMX,
Model 500,
Slick Rick,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Yusef Lateef,
Ash Ra Tempel,
The Motions,
Jesper Dahlback,
The J.B.'s,
Sun Ra,
Deepchord,
EPMD,
Lungfish,
Donny Hathaway,
Bobby Byrd,
Oneida,
Ken Boothe,
Circle Jerks,
Pierre Henry,
Joyce Sims,
Derrick Morgan,
Ultravox,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Los Fastidios,
Prince Buster,
Agitation Free,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
The Cramps,
Sight & Sound,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Public Image Ltd.,
Gregory Isaacs,
Frankie Knuckles,
Mission of Burma,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Fugs,
Jeff Lynne,
Anthony Braxton,
Sixth Finger,
Dave Gahan,
Procol Harum, Procol Harum, Procol Harum, Procol Harum.
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.