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 Bahrain and from London.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 Johannesburg and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Rakim to the electroclash kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Hot Snakes. All the underground hits.
All Sonny Sharrock tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Unwound record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Jimmy McGriff,
Heaven 17,
Chrome,
FM Einheit,
Duran Duran,
Ultravox,
Monolake,
The Searchers,
Graham Central Station,
Bobby Sherman,
Prince Buster,
Radiopuhelimet,
Main Source,
Gong,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
K-Klass,
the Soft Cell,
Aural Exciters,
Swans,
Qualms,
Bill Near,
Danielle Patucci,
Blossom Toes,
Joyce Sims,
Country Joe & The Fish,
The Velvet Underground,
Ten City,
Arab on Radar,
Rotary Connection,
Nico,
Tommy Roe,
the Human League,
Gil Scott Heron,
Letta Mbulu,
Section 25,
10cc,
Yellowson,
Newcleus,
Arthur Verocai,
CMW,
The Real Kids,
Blancmange,
Frankie Knuckles,
Soul II Soul,
Sixth Finger,
KRS-One,
the Germs,
Marshall Jefferson,
Roy Ayers,
The Busters,
Avey Tare,
Bad Manners,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Al Stewart,
Soulsonic Force,
Ken Boothe,
Shuggie Otis,
The Angels of Light,
Crispy Ambulance,
Dual Sessions,
Johnny Clarke,
Delon & Dalcan, Delon & Dalcan, Delon & Dalcan, Delon & Dalcan.
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.