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 Mauritania and from Manila.
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 1964 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 De La Soul & Jungle Brothers to the techno kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Chris & Cosey. All the underground hits.
All These Immortal Souls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Chris Corsano 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Busters,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Terrestrial Tones,
Ultra Naté,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Big Daddy Kane,
Agitation Free,
Rosa Yemen,
Wally Richardson,
Harry Pussy,
Max Romeo,
Funky Four + One,
Minny Pops,
Erykah Badu,
Moby Grape,
Colin Newman,
Sex Pistols,
Camberwell Now,
K-Klass,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Rekid,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Reuben Wilson,
Magma,
Black Sheep,
Mantronix,
Pantaleimon,
Amon Düül,
Gerry Rafferty,
Kaleidoscope,
Sexual Harrassment,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Pierre Henry,
Gil Scott Heron,
UT,
Soul Sonic Force,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
the Slits,
Bad Manners,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Trojans,
Man Parrish,
Magazine,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Wings,
Rapeman,
Tomorrow,
The Star Department,
the Swans,
E-Dancer,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Graham Central Station,
Sugar Minott,
Can,
Brothers Johnson,
The Misunderstood,
Albert Ayler,
Harpers Bizarre,
The Techniques,
Slick Rick,
The Leaves, The Leaves, The Leaves, The Leaves.
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.