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 Andorra and from Tokyo.
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 1961 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Ash Ra Tempel to the rock kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Brothers Johnson. All the underground hits.
All Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every John Lydon 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bobby Byrd record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Tropical Tobacco,
Grauzone,
Sex Pistols,
The Last Poets,
The Doors,
Cluster,
Radiopuhelimet,
Godley & Creme,
The J.B.'s,
Crispy Ambulance,
Los Fastidios,
Erykah Badu,
Minny Pops,
Parry Music,
The Monochrome Set,
Babytalk,
ABBA,
This Heat,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Sugar Minott,
Ituana,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Tears for Fears,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Public Enemy,
Sister Nancy,
Pussy Galore,
Mantronix,
Clear Light,
PIL,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Howard Jones,
The Mighty Diamonds,
DNA,
The Electric Prunes,
Technova,
Skaos,
Jacob Miller,
The Raincoats,
Adolescents,
Ornette Coleman,
Dark Day,
Slick Rick,
Grandmaster Flash,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Radiohead,
KRS-One,
Eden Ahbez,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Au Pairs,
Roxette,
The Mojo Men,
Khruangbin,
Soul Sonic Force,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Marshall Jefferson,
Steve Hackett,
Black Flag,
Minutemen, Minutemen, Minutemen, Minutemen.
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.