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 Liechtenstein and from Lille.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 Michael McDonald 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 Sparks to the funk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Terrestrial Tones. All the underground hits.
All Donny Hathaway tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Laurel Aitken record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sister Nancy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Star Department,
Marcia Griffiths,
Bobbi Humphrey,
The Walker Brothers,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Siglo XX,
Ponytail,
Brothers Johnson,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Stereo Dub,
Hardrive,
Eden Ahbez,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
FM Einheit,
The Five Americans,
Audionom,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Warren Ellis,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Laurel Aitken,
Oneida,
Zero Boys,
Suburban Knight,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Gerry Rafferty,
Faraquet,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Index,
Delon & Dalcan,
Sun City Girls,
Accadde A,
Albert Ayler,
Moss Icon,
Skaos,
Soul II Soul,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Robert Hood,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Grandmaster Flash,
Yazoo,
Kerri Chandler,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Ituana,
These Immortal Souls,
Oblivians,
Derrick May,
World's Most,
The Cramps,
Eric B and Rakim,
Essential Logic,
Tubeway Army,
Mission of Burma,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Al Stewart,
The Fugs,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
the Bar-Kays,
Sonic Youth,
Mars,
Wally Richardson,
Rosa Yemen, Rosa Yemen, Rosa Yemen, Rosa Yemen.
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.