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 Tonga and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in London.
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 1960 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Trumans Water to the jazz 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 the Association. All the underground hits.
All Can tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Charles Mingus 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rapeman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
CMW,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Electric Prunes,
The Zeros,
David McCallum,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Porter Ricks,
Ronan,
Maurizio,
Basic Channel,
Kerri Chandler,
Fatback Band,
Eurythmics,
Minnie Riperton,
The Shadows of Knight,
Flamin' Groovies,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Ludus,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Pharoah Sanders,
Newcleus,
James White and The Blacks,
Tropical Tobacco,
Fugazi,
Popol Vuh,
The Sound,
Ronnie Foster,
The Associates,
Duran Duran,
The Doobie Brothers,
Don Cherry,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Metal Thangz,
Quadrant,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Eden Ahbez,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Aural Exciters,
Yaz,
The Selecter,
Max Romeo,
The Moody Blues,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
MDC,
Tres Demented,
The Smoke,
Flash Fearless,
Magma,
Sonic Youth,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Tim Buckley,
Joy Division,
The Smiths,
Rekid,
Aswad,
China Crisis,
Dennis Brown, Dennis Brown, Dennis Brown, Dennis Brown.
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.