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 Nigeria and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 2001.
I was there at the first Tiga show in Montreal.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Bobby Byrd to the disco 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 Vladislav Delay. All the underground hits.
All Jimmy McGriff tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Nation of Ulysses 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Boogie Down Productions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jeff Lynne,
Lalo Schifrin,
Amon Düül II,
Stiv Bators,
China Crisis,
Wolf Eyes,
Josef K,
Suicide,
Porter Ricks,
Fifty Foot Hose,
the Normal,
Kerrie Biddell,
The United States of America,
Minor Threat,
Morten Harket,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Junior Murvin,
Gang of Four,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Judy Mowatt,
LL Cool J,
Barbara Tucker,
The Smoke,
The Monochrome Set,
The Kinks,
The Walker Brothers,
Hoover,
Bluetip,
Scratch Acid,
Franke,
Massinfluence,
Roxy Music,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Cure,
Fear,
Patti Smith,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
John Holt,
Ash Ra Tempel,
The Alarm Clocks,
Joensuu 1685,
Graham Central Station,
The Pretty Things,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Remains,
Boredoms,
Sarah Menescal,
The Moleskins,
Erykah Badu,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Todd Rundgren,
Brick,
Stockholm Monsters,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Star Department,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Ohio Players,
Sonic Youth,
Robert Wyatt, Robert Wyatt, Robert Wyatt, Robert Wyatt.
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.