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 Mozambique and from Bremen.
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 1961 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Fugs to the funk 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 Bad Manners. All the underground hits.
All X-101 tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Interpol 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Cal Tjader record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cal Tjader,
Harmonia,
Connie Case,
The Residents,
Albert Ayler,
Stiv Bators,
Hot Snakes,
Model 500,
Black Moon,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Simply Red,
Soulsonic Force,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Jawbox,
The Trojans,
Aloha Tigers,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
John Holt,
The Grass Roots,
Eric B and Rakim,
Little Man,
Make Up,
Dead Boys,
The Tremeloes,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Gastr Del Sol,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Jacob Miller,
Girls At Our Best!,
Nation of Ulysses,
Rhythm & Sound,
Robert Wyatt,
Accadde A,
Severed Heads,
Chris & Cosey,
LL Cool J,
Delon & Dalcan,
Soft Machine,
The Smoke,
Moss Icon,
Iggy Pop,
B.T. Express,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Barry Ungar,
Amon Düül II,
Todd Rundgren,
Scratch Acid,
The Selecter,
Eli Mardock,
Sugar Minott,
The Birthday Party,
Marine Girls,
Minny Pops,
Jandek,
Josef K,
The Gladiators,
Roxy Music,
John Coltrane,
R.M.O.,
Ten City,
The Slits,
Grauzone,
Andrew Hill, Andrew Hill, Andrew Hill, Andrew Hill.
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.