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 Cuba and from Lagos.
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 1964 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the organ 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 Roger Hodgson to the funk kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Ten City. All the underground hits.
All Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Hardrive 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Fania All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eric B and Rakim,
Desert Stars,
The Five Americans,
Little Man,
Agent Orange,
Minnie Riperton,
The Star Department,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Fugazi,
Robert Wyatt,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Easy Going,
Von Mondo,
Silicon Teens,
Urselle,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Donny Hathaway,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
D'Angelo,
Leonard Cohen,
Pylon,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Television Personalities,
Avey Tare,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
The Electric Prunes,
The Beau Brummels,
Josef K,
Public Image Ltd.,
The Last Poets,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Sonic Youth,
Agitation Free,
The Saints,
Hoover,
Barrington Levy,
Nils Olav,
The Martian,
Amon Düül,
Deepchord,
Connie Case,
Tropical Tobacco,
Jesper Dahlback,
Hashim,
Flash Fearless,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Banda Bassotti,
Sister Nancy,
Lebanon Hanover,
Clear Light,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Terry Callier,
Inner City,
Scratch Acid,
The Associates,
Outsiders,
R.M.O.,
Bad Manners,
Stockholm Monsters,
Hot Snakes,
The Tremeloes,
Robert Görl, Robert Görl, Robert Görl, Robert Görl.
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.