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 Korea North and from Madrid.
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 1964 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1971 at the first Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 to the techno 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 Kool G Rap & DJ Polo. All the underground hits.
All Tropical Tobacco tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Donald Byrd record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a X-101 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Public Enemy,
CMW,
The Skatalites,
The Music Machine,
Brand Nubian,
Ponytail,
New Age Steppers,
Godley & Creme,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Thompson Twins,
Eric Copeland,
Flamin' Groovies,
Slick Rick,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Dawn Penn,
Jeru the Damaja,
Deakin,
Sister Nancy,
Moebius,
The Raincoats,
The Walker Brothers,
Absolute Body Control,
John Cale,
Drive Like Jehu,
Leonard Cohen,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
The Fire Engines,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Bobby Womack,
Albert Ayler,
Jerry's Kids,
The Misunderstood,
Saccharine Trust,
Niagra,
Nik Kershaw,
Jeff Mills,
Accadde A,
The Durutti Column,
Cybotron,
Cal Tjader,
Donny Hathaway,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Anthony Braxton,
the Normal,
the Bar-Kays,
Parry Music,
The Slits,
Mr. Review,
Arthur Verocai,
Cheater Slicks,
Oblivians,
Goldenarms,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Q and Not U,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Soft Machine,
Jesper Dahlback,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Lalann,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Morten Harket,
Amon Düül,
Sun Ra Arkestra, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sun Ra Arkestra.
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.