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 Kiribati and from Johannesburg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1962 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Sugar Minott to the rap kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Dave Gahan. All the underground hits.
All Ajijia Myrayebe tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fort Wilson Riot record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 marimba and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Dead Boys record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sugar Minott,
Brand Nubian,
Cheater Slicks,
Jeff Lynne,
DNA,
Alphaville,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Henry Cow,
Soul II Soul,
Morten Harket,
Blancmange,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Interpol,
The Leaves,
The American Breed,
Heaven 17,
Robert Hood,
Mo-Dettes,
Black Moon,
Roger Hodgson,
Qualms,
Babytalk,
These Immortal Souls,
Eyeless In Gaza,
The Doors,
Absolute Body Control,
Wings,
Procol Harum,
Nico,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Marine Girls,
Nik Kershaw,
Max Romeo,
Maleditus Sound,
Can,
Warren Ellis,
June Days,
Marvin Gaye,
Hardrive,
Ponytail,
Soft Cell,
David Axelrod,
Lucky Dragons,
Kool Moe Dee,
Harry Pussy,
Infiniti,
Aural Exciters,
Freddie Wadling,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Dark Day,
Pole,
Nick Fraelich,
Stereo Dub,
Curtis Mayfield,
Boredoms,
FM Einheit,
Skarface,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Jesper Dahlback,
Sight & Sound,
Todd Terry,
Monolake,
Jandek, Jandek, Jandek, Jandek.
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.