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 Taiwan and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1968 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 Nile Rodgers 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 Sound to the funk 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 Robert Görl. All the underground hits.
All Marvin Gaye tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Radiohead 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a sitar 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 güiro and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Shadows of Knight,
The Associates,
Scientists,
The Standells,
Lou Christie,
Junior Murvin,
The Moleskins,
EPMD,
The Modern Lovers,
Barclay James Harvest,
Shuggie Otis,
Bad Manners,
The Slackers,
Yellowson,
the Sonics,
Simply Red,
Gerry Rafferty,
the Slits,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Boz Scaggs,
Pagans,
Jacques Brel,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Camouflage,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
The Smoke,
Gang Green,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Audionom,
Wolf Eyes,
Grauzone,
Sparks,
The New Christs,
Ralphi Rosario,
John Cale,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Drexciya,
Graham Central Station,
Qualms,
Altered Images,
Deakin,
Bronski Beat,
Brothers Johnson,
The Techniques,
New York Dolls,
Eric Dolphy,
Alton Ellis,
Radiohead,
The Motions,
The Smiths,
This Heat,
Lee Hazlewood,
Sällskapet,
Agent Orange,
Terrestrial Tones,
Fugazi,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Marc Almond,
Hot Snakes,
Gang Gang Dance,
Gil Scott Heron,
Todd Rundgren,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Pet Shop Boys, Pet Shop Boys, Pet Shop Boys, Pet Shop Boys.
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.