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 Bangladesh and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Bremen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Velvet Underground to the grime kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Aural Exciters. All the underground hits.
All Gang Gang Dance tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Peter and Kerry 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ultimate Spinach record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Terry Callier,
Freddie Wadling,
Das Ding,
Gil Scott Heron,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Main Source,
MDC,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Subhumans,
Nas,
Lalann,
The Associates,
the Sonics,
Alison Limerick,
Mission of Burma,
Funkadelic,
Man Parrish,
Mark Hollis,
Man Eating Sloth,
Thompson Twins,
The Young Rascals,
Soulsonic Force,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Leonard Cohen,
Fear,
Al Stewart,
Terrestrial Tones,
Camberwell Now,
Agent Orange,
Gerry Rafferty,
The Modern Lovers,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Tres Demented,
Boredoms,
Ralphi Rosario,
Stereo Dub,
the Swans,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Alarm Clocks,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Black Bananas,
Curtis Mayfield,
H. Thieme,
Big Daddy Kane,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
D'Angelo,
Wally Richardson,
The Golliwogs,
Jimmy McGriff,
Frankie Knuckles,
Vainqueur,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Jeff Lynne,
Altered Images,
The Birthday Party,
Archie Shepp,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Graham Central Station,
The Happenings,
Schoolly D, Schoolly D, Schoolly D, Schoolly D.
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.