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 Syria and from Jakarta.
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 1964 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Sarah Menescal to the disco kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Pagans. All the underground hits.
All Rahsaan Roland Kirk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eurythmics record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Saints record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bang On A Can,
The Music Machine,
Ten City,
Radio Birdman,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
The Smoke,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Josef K,
World's Most,
Basic Channel,
The New Christs,
The Techniques,
Hot Snakes,
KRS-One,
Au Pairs,
Robert Görl,
The Beau Brummels,
Technova,
B.T. Express,
Fela Kuti,
The Fall,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Barrington Levy,
John Holt,
The Moleskins,
Graham Central Station,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
the Bar-Kays,
Bobby Byrd,
David Axelrod,
A Certain Ratio,
Jerry's Kids,
The Slackers,
Organ,
The Martian,
Royal Trux,
Deakin,
Sonic Youth,
Ultravox,
Bad Manners,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Sound,
Metal Thangz,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Slick Rick,
UT,
Shuggie Otis,
Wally Richardson,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
the Slits,
Pylon,
Mandrill,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
David Bowie,
Ronan,
New York Dolls,
Kaleidoscope,
Nas,
Joyce Sims,
Derrick May,
Bill Wells,
Andrew Hill,
Letta Mbulu,
Mantronix,
Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division.
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.