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 Serbia and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 Beijing and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Sparks to the techno 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 Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog. All the underground hits.
All Donald Byrd tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythm & Sound 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sparks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sound Behaviour,
Gang Gang Dance,
Eric B and Rakim,
Clear Light,
John Coltrane,
Idris Muhammad,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Jawbox,
Minor Threat,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Barrington Levy,
The Sonics,
Connie Case,
Severed Heads,
the Fania All-Stars,
Jeff Mills,
Marvin Gaye,
Audionom,
Gang Starr,
The Cowsills,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Main Source,
Scan 7,
Yusef Lateef,
the Normal,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Underground Resistance,
R.M.O.,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Inner City,
kango's stein massive,
Young Marble Giants,
Harpers Bizarre,
Oblivians,
Niagra,
The Pop Group,
Joe Smooth,
June Days,
The Vogues,
OOIOO,
Icehouse,
Skaos,
EPMD,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Golliwogs,
The Young Rascals,
Gabor Szabo,
Blake Baxter,
Moss Icon,
Steve Hackett,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Anthony Braxton,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
The Divine Comedy,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Organ,
Section 25,
The Busters, The Busters, The Busters, The Busters.
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.