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 Spain and from Sao Paulo.
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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the theremin 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 Con Funk Shun to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Barry Ungar. All the underground hits.
All The Jesus and Mary Chain tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dual Sessions 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Motions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Masters at Work,
Soft Machine,
Symarip,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Tom Boy,
Procol Harum,
Desert Stars,
Ponytail,
Ultravox,
Ronan,
Kurtis Blow,
Oblivians,
Ten City,
Crime,
The Star Department,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Tres Demented,
Pet Shop Boys,
Slick Rick,
Man Parrish,
E-Dancer,
Roxette,
The Fall,
Pussy Galore,
The Barracudas,
MDC,
Alphaville,
Jandek,
Das Ding,
Rites of Spring,
Pagans,
Lyres,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Birthday Party,
The Last Poets,
The Alarm Clocks,
Todd Rundgren,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
The Move,
The Techniques,
Depeche Mode,
Gang of Four,
Gang Starr,
Soulsonic Force,
The Divine Comedy,
Robert Görl,
Ohio Players,
DJ Style,
Skaos,
The Fugs,
Rosa Yemen,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Aswad,
Public Enemy,
Technova,
Talk Talk,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Kenny Larkin,
The Smiths,
KRS-One,
The Blues Magoos,
Von Mondo,
Suburban Knight, Suburban Knight, Suburban Knight, Suburban Knight.
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.