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 Guyana and from Mumbai.
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 1969 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the 808 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 The Moody Blues to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Eric Copeland. All the underground hits.
All Robert Hood tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every R.M.O. record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Subhumans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Slackers,
Ohio Players,
Easy Going,
Electric Prunes,
Tommy Roe,
New Age Steppers,
Harpers Bizarre,
Donny Hathaway,
The Mummies,
Blancmange,
Model 500,
Johnny Clarke,
Minor Threat,
The Remains,
Ultra Naté,
Brass Construction,
The United States of America,
The Blackbyrds,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Ronan,
The Mojo Men,
Ultravox,
Gang Green,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Japan,
Soul II Soul,
Clear Light,
Lower 48,
Guru Guru,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Offenders,
Pussy Galore,
Jerry's Kids,
The Selecter,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Brand Nubian,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
the Slits,
The Barracudas,
The Golliwogs,
Ken Boothe,
Althea and Donna,
Gichy Dan,
Sarah Menescal,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Music Machine,
David Bowie,
Soulsonic Force,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Surgeon,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Derrick May,
The Black Dice,
Eric Dolphy,
Rakim,
Colin Newman,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Main Source, Main Source, Main Source, Main Source.
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.