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 Argentina and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1966 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 chamberlin 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 The Grass Roots to the punk 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 Cal Tjader. All the underground hits.
All Alphaville tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marshall Jefferson record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 an oboe and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Reuben Wilson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Stiv Bators,
The Offenders,
Deadbeat,
The Dead C,
Rakim,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Au Pairs,
Judy Mowatt,
Con Funk Shun,
Harry Pussy,
Laurel Aitken,
Donald Byrd,
The Zeros,
Babytalk,
Eric Dolphy,
The Associates,
Thompson Twins,
The Residents,
Fear,
Subhumans,
Sonic Youth,
The Searchers,
Liliput,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Gerry Rafferty,
Bauhaus,
Tomorrow,
Minnie Riperton,
The United States of America,
Wally Richardson,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Masters at Work,
Piero Umiliani,
Robert Wyatt,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Symarip,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Television Personalities,
Bush Tetras,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Sarah Menescal,
Fort Wilson Riot,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Blake Baxter,
Monks,
Joyce Sims,
Byron Stingily,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Hasil Adkins,
Hashim,
Cal Tjader,
Gong,
Negative Approach,
Bill Wells,
Radiopuhelimet,
Pulsallama,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Moleskins,
The Techniques,
Fela Kuti, Fela Kuti, Fela Kuti, Fela Kuti.
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.