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 Denmark 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 1968 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 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 Man Eating Sloth to the rock kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 The Monks. All the underground hits.
All Camouflage tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ultimate Spinach record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sparks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Erykah Badu,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Charles Mingus,
Erasure,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Mark Hollis,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Sandy B,
Scan 7,
The Mojo Men,
John Holt,
One Last Wish,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Gladiators,
Angry Samoans,
Shoche,
Eric Copeland,
Section 25,
Pet Shop Boys,
The Real Kids,
Skarface,
Soulsonic Force,
Jeff Lynne,
Suburban Knight,
the Normal,
Brothers Johnson,
The American Breed,
Los Fastidios,
Peter & Gordon,
Pole,
Laurel Aitken,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Tears for Fears,
Television,
Bill Near,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Brick,
Nils Olav,
Stockholm Monsters,
Sixth Finger,
Whodini,
Silicon Teens,
Marine Girls,
The Standells,
John Coltrane,
B.T. Express,
Wings,
Man Eating Sloth,
Public Image Ltd.,
Nas,
This Heat,
Intrusion,
Bush Tetras,
Talk Talk,
The United States of America,
The Kinks,
Cameo,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Yaz,
FM Einheit,
Spoonie Gee, Spoonie Gee, Spoonie Gee, Spoonie Gee.
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.