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 Thailand and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Bootsy's Rubber Band to the electroclash 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 Joey Negro. All the underground hits.
All Cecil Taylor tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rapeman 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Roger Hodgson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Don Cherry,
Moby Grape,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
the Soft Cell,
The Angels of Light,
Surgeon,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Gladiators,
Johnny Osbourne,
Alison Limerick,
The J.B.'s,
Boredoms,
Television Personalities,
The Human League,
Man Parrish,
Deakin,
Babytalk,
Hot Snakes,
Black Flag,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Rosa Yemen,
Tomorrow,
Sugar Minott,
Chris & Cosey,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Ludus,
Anthony Braxton,
Pussy Galore,
Connie Case,
Barclay James Harvest,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Danielle Patucci,
Agent Orange,
Adolescents,
The Fugs,
June of 44,
the Human League,
Whodini,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Kinks,
Barrington Levy,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Severed Heads,
Amon Düül,
The Alarm Clocks,
Joe Finger,
The Gun Club,
Letta Mbulu,
Jeff Lynne,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Animal Collective,
Crime,
The Velvet Underground,
Pole,
The Sonics,
Pet Shop Boys,
Black Bananas,
Max Romeo, Max Romeo, Max Romeo, Max Romeo.
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.