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 East Timor and from Manila.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Amon Düül II to the dance kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Roxy Music. All the underground hits.
All Gang of Four tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric Dolphy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nik Kershaw record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Crooked Eye,
Crash Course in Science,
Banda Bassotti,
Mad Mike,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Bill Wells,
The Modern Lovers,
the Association,
Saccharine Trust,
The Index,
Prince Buster,
Pagans,
Laurel Aitken,
Second Layer,
Intrusion,
Rekid,
Charles Mingus,
David McCallum,
Liliput,
Index,
Urselle,
Scion,
Crime,
Country Teasers,
Man Eating Sloth,
Gichy Dan,
Judy Mowatt,
Curtis Mayfield,
John Foxx,
The Dave Clark Five,
New Order,
Pierre Henry,
Sandy B,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Bauhaus,
Boz Scaggs,
Panda Bear,
Roy Ayers,
Letta Mbulu,
Max Romeo,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Lindisfarne,
Jeff Lynne,
The American Breed,
Jacques Brel,
Audionom,
Stetsasonic,
Morten Harket,
Zapp,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Rapeman,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Chris Corsano,
10cc,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
John Coltrane,
a-ha,
John Holt,
Albert Ayler,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Parry Music,
Lalann,
the Germs, the Germs, the Germs, the Germs.
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.