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 Syria and from Philadelphia.
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 1960 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 guitar 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 Ohio Players to the funk 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 Au Pairs. All the underground hits.
All Ituana tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Con Funk Shun record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jandek record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bronski Beat,
Josef K,
Rakim,
Scratch Acid,
Skaos,
Pole,
Mr. Review,
Steve Hackett,
Kenny Larkin,
Slick Rick,
Blossom Toes,
Lightning Bolt,
Scan 7,
Deakin,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Negative Approach,
X-Ray Spex,
Duran Duran,
Black Sheep,
Con Funk Shun,
R.M.O.,
JFA,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Youth Brigade,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Fatback Band,
Das Ding,
Moebius,
Lower 48,
T. Rex,
Clear Light,
Theoretical Girls,
Chrome,
Thompson Twins,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Alarm Clocks,
David Bowie,
Moss Icon,
Max Romeo,
OOIOO,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Red Krayola,
The Slits,
Marcia Griffiths,
Nico,
Inner City,
Tropical Tobacco,
Bobby Sherman,
Quadrant,
The Litter,
Glambeats Corp.,
Lalo Schifrin,
Mad Mike,
Oneida,
Jerry's Kids,
Eric B and Rakim,
48th St. Collective,
The Pretty Things,
Mary Jane Girls,
The Martian,
Cymande,
Black Pus,
Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith.
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.