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 Togo and from Taipei.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 The Men They Couldn't Hang to the rock kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Bobby Hutcherson. All the underground hits.
All The Smiths tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ronnie Foster record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Simply Red record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Symarip,
Shuggie Otis,
Can,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Eli Mardock,
Harpers Bizarre,
Porter Ricks,
Arcadia,
Crispian St. Peters,
the Bar-Kays,
Ludus,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Hashim,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
The Velvet Underground,
Lyres,
Organ,
Das Ding,
Newcleus,
The Pretty Things,
The Offenders,
Charles Mingus,
Anthony Braxton,
Model 500,
The Selecter,
Scan 7,
Darondo,
Colin Newman,
Rapeman,
ABBA,
Kenny Larkin,
Graham Central Station,
Stereo Dub,
Blancmange,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Simply Red,
U.S. Maple,
The Zeros,
Easy Going,
Alphaville,
Sarah Menescal,
The United States of America,
Kayak,
Dead Boys,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Fugs,
Terry Callier,
Josef K,
Patti Smith,
The Music Machine,
Pet Shop Boys,
Aloha Tigers,
World's Most,
JFA,
Al Stewart,
The Sound,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Litter,
Masters at Work,
Basic Channel,
Kerri Chandler,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Aaron Thompson, Aaron Thompson, Aaron Thompson, Aaron Thompson.
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.