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 Kenya and from Houston.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1967 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 synthesizer 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 Lou Reed to the crunk 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 Gian Franco Pienzio. All the underground hits.
All Rhythim Is Rhythim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Popol Vuh record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Maleditus Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Fela Kuti,
Soft Machine,
The Tremeloes,
The Offenders,
Guru Guru,
Arthur Verocai,
John Holt,
The Monks,
Reuben Wilson,
Kurtis Blow,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Cheater Slicks,
Bill Near,
The Happenings,
Bizarre Inc.,
Monks,
Monolake,
Quadrant,
Howard Jones,
Jawbox,
Kool Moe Dee,
Procol Harum,
B.T. Express,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Colin Newman,
Sun City Girls,
Boz Scaggs,
Ohio Players,
Susan Cadogan,
UT,
Swell Maps,
Angry Samoans,
Delta 5,
Radiohead,
Essential Logic,
Marmalade,
Roy Ayers,
MDC,
The Fire Engines,
Scion,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Jimmy McGriff,
Ralphi Rosario,
Animal Collective,
The Music Machine,
Arab on Radar,
Peter & Gordon,
Alice Coltrane,
The Sonics,
Curtis Mayfield,
Tommy Roe,
Subhumans,
Livin' Joy,
Black Bananas,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Faust,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Moss Icon,
The Misunderstood,
Sam Rivers,
Cal Tjader, Cal Tjader, Cal Tjader, Cal Tjader.
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.