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 Jordan 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 1967 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the mellotron 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 Susan Cadogan to the jazz 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 Masters at Work. All the underground hits.
All New Order tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Procol Harum 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ronan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Nirvana,
Cymande,
Bill Wells,
Tommy Roe,
Ronan,
Black Moon,
Swell Maps,
The Toasters,
The Remains,
ABC,
Scientists,
Tropical Tobacco,
Skarface,
The Last Poets,
Brass Construction,
Slave,
The Doors,
Rosa Yemen,
The Motions,
R.M.O.,
Alphaville,
The Slackers,
Pole,
UT,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Ludus,
Television Personalities,
Kerrie Biddell,
Spoonie Gee,
Mad Mike,
Moby Grape,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
The Dead C,
DNA,
The Young Rascals,
Peter and Kerry,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Crime,
Judy Mowatt,
The Flesh Eaters,
Marcia Griffiths,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Deakin,
Reuben Wilson,
Lyres,
Toni Rubio,
Underground Resistance,
Boz Scaggs,
Juan Atkins,
Faraquet,
Ossler,
The Durutti Column,
The Human League,
Pussy Galore,
Joey Negro,
Nico,
Eli Mardock,
Groovy Waters,
Pulsallama,
Liliput,
The Gladiators,
Danielle Patucci,
Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants.
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.