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 Nigeria and from Paris.
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 1966 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The Names to the punk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Smoke. All the underground hits.
All Depeche Mode tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Reagan Youth record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bobby Hutcherson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Fugazi,
Flipper,
Bronski Beat,
Ten City,
The Cure,
Public Image Ltd.,
Pagans,
Subhumans,
Gabor Szabo,
Erykah Badu,
Fela Kuti,
Television,
Dave Gahan,
R.M.O.,
Ponytail,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Harpers Bizarre,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Albert Ayler,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Joe Smooth,
The Offenders,
The Selecter,
The Gories,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Rod Modell,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
The Durutti Column,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Isaac Hayes,
Accadde A,
Stiv Bators,
Arthur Verocai,
Robert Görl,
Al Stewart,
Goldenarms,
Japan,
Little Man,
Niagra,
Amon Düül,
Alison Limerick,
Inner City,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
The Flesh Eaters,
Ronnie Foster,
Kool Moe Dee,
Public Enemy,
The Knickerbockers,
Marc Almond,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Tropical Tobacco,
Sight & Sound,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Cramps,
Country Teasers,
Howard Jones,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Man Parrish,
Michelle Simonal,
A Certain Ratio,
Agent Orange, Agent Orange, Agent Orange, Agent Orange.
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.