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 South Sudan and from Spokane.
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 Winnipeg and Sao Paulo.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Blake Baxter to the grunge 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 Soft Machine. All the underground hits.
All De La Soul & Jungle Brothers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fluxion record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Juan Atkins record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Gap Band,
E-Dancer,
Cal Tjader,
Scott Walker,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Fire Engines,
Siglo XX,
These Immortal Souls,
Morten Harket,
The Young Rascals,
Fat Boys,
Japan,
Nation of Ulysses,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Don Cherry,
Whodini,
Deadbeat,
Television,
Goldenarms,
Ultra Naté,
Swell Maps,
Soul II Soul,
Bob Dylan,
Tomorrow,
Skarface,
Barclay James Harvest,
Jandek,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Rod Modell,
Amon Düül II,
The Dirtbombs,
Monks,
Eric B and Rakim,
the Human League,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Jacob Miller,
The Names,
The Gories,
Ken Boothe,
Danielle Patucci,
Prince Buster,
The Birthday Party,
Terrestrial Tones,
Sister Nancy,
Crispian St. Peters,
Skriet,
Roger Hodgson,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Depeche Mode,
The Saints,
The Music Machine,
The Fugs,
Joyce Sims,
PIL,
Little Man,
The Residents,
Gregory Isaacs,
Steve Hackett,
Mars,
Michelle Simonal,
Con Funk Shun,
Kevin Saunderson, Kevin Saunderson, Kevin Saunderson, Kevin Saunderson.
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.