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 South Sudan and from Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in .
I was there at the first Suicide show in New York.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
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 Whodini to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Names. All the underground hits.
All Eli Mardock tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Pylon 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marcia Griffiths 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?
Lower 48,
Ten City,
Reagan Youth,
Lungfish,
Grauzone,
Bluetip,
Erasure,
Rites of Spring,
The Divine Comedy,
Isaac Hayes,
Jacob Miller,
Sister Nancy,
The Associates,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Terrestrial Tones,
Minutemen,
The Human League,
Brothers Johnson,
Mark Hollis,
The Seeds,
Black Flag,
Clear Light,
Ohio Players,
Stiv Bators,
The Cowsills,
The Blues Magoos,
Mandrill,
Goldenarms,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Busters,
A Certain Ratio,
EPMD,
the Normal,
The Music Machine,
China Crisis,
The Slackers,
Ultra Naté,
Nik Kershaw,
Quadrant,
Tubeway Army,
Tropical Tobacco,
Flash Fearless,
Television,
Joensuu 1685,
Fugazi,
Slave,
Laurel Aitken,
Don Cherry,
The Fugs,
X-Ray Spex,
The Count Five,
In Retrospect,
AZ,
Gang Gang Dance,
Amon Düül II,
Symarip,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
The Searchers,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Parry Music,
Minny Pops,
Rakim, Rakim, Rakim, Rakim.
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.