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 Zambia and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1961 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Lindisfarne to the rap 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 Magma. All the underground hits.
All Rhythim Is Rhythim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gregory Isaacs 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ken Boothe record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Chrome,
Intrusion,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Jimmy McGriff,
Popol Vuh,
Girls At Our Best!,
Ken Boothe,
Simply Red,
The Slits,
Frankie Knuckles,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Deadbeat,
Patti Smith,
Jesper Dahlback,
The Dirtbombs,
Ultimate Spinach,
Glenn Branca,
Wolf Eyes,
Jawbox,
Radiohead,
Maurizio,
Whodini,
John Coltrane,
Harmonia,
Make Up,
R.M.O.,
The Sound,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Jacob Miller,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Shoche,
Judy Mowatt,
Grey Daturas,
Liliput,
Todd Terry,
The Standells,
Bluetip,
the Human League,
Eric Copeland,
Boz Scaggs,
Panda Bear,
Swell Maps,
Hoover,
Masters at Work,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Mandrill,
Porter Ricks,
Lucky Dragons,
The Techniques,
The Tremeloes,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Man Parrish,
Kerrie Biddell,
Nirvana,
Skaos,
Alice Coltrane,
Brick,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Roxy Music,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Von Mondo, Von Mondo, Von Mondo, Von Mondo.
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.