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 Guinea-Bissau and from Portland.
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 1961 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Lyon.
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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Marmalade to the disco 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 The Tremeloes. All the underground hits.
All Joensuu 1685 tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Barry Ungar record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 guitar and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Suburban Knight,
The Fugs,
Yusef Lateef,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Khruangbin,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Adolescents,
Von Mondo,
Rekid,
Easy Going,
James White and The Blacks,
The Red Krayola,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Joey Negro,
Sällskapet,
Sexual Harrassment,
Nation of Ulysses,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Todd Rundgren,
Theoretical Girls,
Al Stewart,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Tom Boy,
La Düsseldorf,
Los Fastidios,
The Dave Clark Five,
Fat Boys,
Wolf Eyes,
10cc,
Buzzcocks,
Talk Talk,
The Sound,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Bush Tetras,
Goldenarms,
Drive Like Jehu,
Liliput,
Barbara Tucker,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
the Germs,
Accadde A,
The Gladiators,
Janne Schatter,
H. Thieme,
The Litter,
Pantaleimon,
LL Cool J,
Chris Corsano,
Darondo,
EPMD,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Man Eating Sloth,
Quando Quango,
Patti Smith,
the Slits,
Boz Scaggs,
Shuggie Otis,
Rakim,
Quantec,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Michelle Simonal,
Roxy Music,
Gastr Del Sol, Gastr Del Sol, Gastr Del Sol, Gastr Del Sol.
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.