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 Guyana and from Columbus.
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 1967 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson to the jazz kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Charles Mingus tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Circle Jerks 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sad Lovers and Giants record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Dorothy Ashby,
the Swans,
Drexciya,
Nik Kershaw,
The Young Rascals,
Gil Scott Heron,
Warsaw,
Pere Ubu,
Can,
Arcadia,
Stereo Dub,
Freddie Wadling,
Fatback Band,
Nils Olav,
Lungfish,
The Doobie Brothers,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
The Happenings,
Theoretical Girls,
Johnny Clarke,
Monolake,
The Martian,
The Stooges,
Boredoms,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Circle Jerks,
The Trojans,
Cecil Taylor,
Banda Bassotti,
Bobby Byrd,
Spandau Ballet,
Ronan,
Agent Orange,
Cheater Slicks,
Eric Dolphy,
Anthony Braxton,
Camouflage,
David Bowie,
Basic Channel,
Neu!,
Rhythm & Sound,
Sparks,
Crooked Eye,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Kerrie Biddell,
Reagan Youth,
Intrusion,
Niagra,
The Real Kids,
Sex Pistols,
Glenn Branca,
Deakin,
Danielle Patucci,
Hardrive,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Ten City,
Donny Hathaway,
Ponytail,
The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men.
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.