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 Nauru and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu to the funk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Letta Mbulu. All the underground hits.
All Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Aswad record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 organ and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Saints record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Swans,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Mummies,
Soft Machine,
Janne Schatter,
Mission of Burma,
Barbara Tucker,
The Moody Blues,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Slits,
Sister Nancy,
Malaria!,
Nation of Ulysses,
John Coltrane,
The Cowsills,
Sonny Sharrock,
Yazoo,
Shoche,
The Doors,
Sällskapet,
FM Einheit,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Tim Buckley,
Sarah Menescal,
Newcleus,
Urselle,
The Blackbyrds,
Eddi Front,
X-Ray Spex,
L. Decosne,
New York Dolls,
John Holt,
Tears for Fears,
Stockholm Monsters,
Gichy Dan,
Underground Resistance,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Dual Sessions,
Amon Düül,
Con Funk Shun,
Basic Channel,
The Gap Band,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Raincoats,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Carl Craig,
Isaac Hayes,
Charles Mingus,
Bluetip,
Black Pus,
Duran Duran,
Dennis Brown,
Roxy Music,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Sonic Youth,
Juan Atkins,
Cheater Slicks,
The Fire Engines,
Marcia Griffiths,
A Certain Ratio,
Jeru the Damaja, Jeru the Damaja, Jeru the Damaja, Jeru the Damaja.
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.