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 Nepal and from Paris.
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 1965 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the organ 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 Al Stewart to the crunk 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 Alice Coltrane. All the underground hits.
All Drive Like Jehu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Louis and Bebe Barron record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 a harpsichord and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Marmalade,
Con Funk Shun,
Ken Boothe,
Arcadia,
Moby Grape,
Minny Pops,
Joe Smooth,
The Last Poets,
The Golliwogs,
Michelle Simonal,
Sixth Finger,
Peter & Gordon,
JFA,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Monolake,
John Lydon,
Ponytail,
The Five Americans,
The Angels of Light,
Au Pairs,
Jawbox,
The Black Dice,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Massinfluence,
Oblivians,
Skarface,
Sam Rivers,
Soulsonic Force,
Wire,
Procol Harum,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Techniques,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Chrome,
The Count Five,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Avey Tare,
Spoonie Gee,
Tears for Fears,
F. McDonald,
Anthony Braxton,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Mary Jane Girls,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
B.T. Express,
48th St. Collective,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Fad Gadget,
Livin' Joy,
Freddie Wadling,
Hoover,
Black Bananas,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Joensuu 1685,
Bronski Beat,
The Slackers,
Crispy Ambulance, Crispy Ambulance, Crispy Ambulance, Crispy Ambulance.
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.