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 Vanuatu and from Copenhagen.
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 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson to the dance 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 MDC. All the underground hits.
All Grandmaster Flash tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric Dolphy 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Monks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Shadows of Knight,
Mo-Dettes,
Sonic Youth,
Susan Cadogan,
Minor Threat,
Aural Exciters,
U.S. Maple,
Jerry's Kids,
Rekid,
the Slits,
The Angels of Light,
Liliput,
Marmalade,
Harmonia,
The Star Department,
Tubeway Army,
Drexciya,
Chrome,
X-Ray Spex,
Masters at Work,
Don Cherry,
Warsaw,
David McCallum,
Newcleus,
Joensuu 1685,
Loose Ends,
Agitation Free,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Radiohead,
Oneida,
Half Japanese,
Faraquet,
The Young Rascals,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Anakelly,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Leonard Cohen,
Quando Quango,
The Martian,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Negative Approach,
Vainqueur,
Sun City Girls,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Kool Moe Dee,
FM Einheit,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Throbbing Gristle,
Terry Callier,
Matthew Bourne,
Franke,
Ludus,
Bobby Sherman,
Nirvana,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Model 500,
Bob Dylan,
Byron Stingily,
Colin Newman,
Jacob Miller,
8 Eyed Spy,
Mary Jane Girls,
Lalo Schifrin, Lalo Schifrin, Lalo Schifrin, Lalo Schifrin.
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.