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 Paraguay and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1965 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Angels of Light to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Minny Pops. All the underground hits.
All Charles Mingus tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bronski Beat record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Five Americans,
Bizarre Inc.,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Lou Reed,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Qualms,
The Walker Brothers,
Motorama,
Banda Bassotti,
Marine Girls,
Junior Murvin,
Camberwell Now,
kango's stein massive,
Archie Shepp,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Spoonie Gee,
Absolute Body Control,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
John Lydon,
Thee Headcoats,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
The Doors,
CMW,
Arab on Radar,
Matthew Bourne,
Chris & Cosey,
Youth Brigade,
Barrington Levy,
Drexciya,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
DJ Style,
Whodini,
K-Klass,
Model 500,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Bluetip,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
June of 44,
Aloha Tigers,
Blossom Toes,
Bobby Womack,
David McCallum,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Outsiders,
Gang Gang Dance,
T.S.O.L.,
Rhythm & Sound,
Swell Maps,
Colin Newman,
Lungfish,
Excepter,
Jawbox,
Anthony Braxton,
Saccharine Trust,
Skarface,
Josef K,
Gang of Four,
U.S. Maple,
Warsaw,
Marc Almond,
Hot Snakes,
Visage,
Wire,
Glenn Branca, Glenn Branca, Glenn Branca, Glenn Branca.
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.