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 Turkmenistan and from Winnipeg.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 F. McDonald to the crunk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 The Zeros. All the underground hits.
All Subhumans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fort Wilson Riot 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Quando Quango record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Joyce Sims,
Sam Rivers,
Skaos,
Cybotron,
Black Flag,
PIL,
Johnny Clarke,
Davy DMX,
Roy Ayers,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Yazoo,
Radio Birdman,
Grauzone,
Prince Buster,
Mad Mike,
Max Romeo,
The Dave Clark Five,
Goldenarms,
The Cosmic Jokers,
David Bowie,
Soul II Soul,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Joensuu 1685,
Judy Mowatt,
The Golliwogs,
Severed Heads,
Masters at Work,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Minutemen,
John Lydon,
Rod Modell,
Japan,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Doors,
Jimmy McGriff,
Fluxion,
Chrome,
Pharoah Sanders,
The Doobie Brothers,
Maleditus Sound,
Brass Construction,
Qualms,
Thompson Twins,
Byron Stingily,
Kenny Larkin,
the Normal,
Todd Rundgren,
Gichy Dan,
Khruangbin,
A Certain Ratio,
Swell Maps,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Martian,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
The Selecter,
The Five Americans,
Howard Jones,
Susan Cadogan,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Ludus,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry.
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.