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 Papua New Guinea and from Spokane.
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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the oboe 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 Urselle to the punk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Gary Puckett & The Union Gap. All the underground hits.
All Kerri Chandler tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Peter & Gordon record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz 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 a sitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Skarface record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Technova,
Chris & Cosey,
Nas,
Altered Images,
Rotary Connection,
Hoover,
Supertramp,
Soul II Soul,
Average White Band,
Ash Ra Tempel,
The Modern Lovers,
Brick,
Joyce Sims,
Boogie Down Productions,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Rod Modell,
Girls At Our Best!,
Panda Bear,
The Remains,
Reuben Wilson,
Carl Craig,
Connie Case,
The Real Kids,
Faraquet,
The Music Machine,
Lungfish,
Donald Byrd,
Nick Fraelich,
Eve St. Jones,
Adolescents,
Marshall Jefferson,
Au Pairs,
The Happenings,
The Associates,
Lou Reed,
Erykah Badu,
Gabor Szabo,
a-ha,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Black Bananas,
Drive Like Jehu,
LL Cool J,
Brass Construction,
The Gap Band,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Slave,
The Busters,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Masters at Work,
The Blues Magoos,
Henry Cow,
Roxette,
Johnny Clarke,
Radio Birdman,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Rufus Thomas,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
10cc,
the Swans,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Derrick Morgan, Derrick Morgan, Derrick Morgan, Derrick Morgan.
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.