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 Saudi Arabia and from Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Soft Boys show in Cambridge.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Manila.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Womack to the techno kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 The Birthday Party. All the underground hits.
All Bang on a Can All-Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Letta Mbulu record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 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 Negative Approach record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bad Manners,
Spoonie Gee,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Nico,
Boogie Down Productions,
Joe Finger,
Pussy Galore,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Oblivians,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
D'Angelo,
Cecil Taylor,
Gang Starr,
Ludus,
Fad Gadget,
Section 25,
Quando Quango,
Terrestrial Tones,
Lou Reed,
the Germs,
Junior Murvin,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Soul II Soul,
Kenny Larkin,
H. Thieme,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
ABC,
Jacques Brel,
T.S.O.L.,
Neu!,
Ten City,
Andrew Hill,
The Evens,
L. Decosne,
CMW,
The Dave Clark Five,
Kerri Chandler,
Rod Modell,
The Zeros,
Sandy B,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Harpers Bizarre,
Public Image Ltd.,
The Vogues,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Scientists,
The Pop Group,
Donny Hathaway,
Half Japanese,
Soft Machine,
cv313,
Ken Boothe,
Visage,
The Beau Brummels,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Wake,
The New Christs,
Reagan Youth,
R.M.O.,
Flipper,
Chris & Cosey, Chris & Cosey, Chris & Cosey, Chris & Cosey.
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.