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 Cambodia and from Toronto.
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 1964 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Cairo.
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 oboe 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 Fad Gadget to the funk 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 Bang on a Can All-Stars. All the underground hits.
All Monolake tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Wasted Youth 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Sonics record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Youth Brigade,
Josef K,
Average White Band,
Interpol,
DNA,
Stereo Dub,
Amazonics,
Cal Tjader,
The Gladiators,
Flash Fearless,
Mark Hollis,
Clear Light,
Scan 7,
Carl Craig,
Archie Shepp,
Jacques Brel,
Drive Like Jehu,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Popol Vuh,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The Red Krayola,
Tom Boy,
Hasil Adkins,
Stiv Bators,
David Axelrod,
Pulsallama,
Minor Threat,
The Slackers,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Leonard Cohen,
The Gories,
Donny Hathaway,
Radio Birdman,
John Coltrane,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Lalann,
Soft Cell,
Joyce Sims,
Scott Walker,
Bang On A Can,
Marvin Gaye,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Black Flag,
The Trojans,
Nas,
Accadde A,
Skarface,
Ponytail,
Depeche Mode,
The Toasters,
Fluxion,
Moby Grape,
T.S.O.L.,
Malaria!,
The Smiths,
The Moleskins,
Marcia Griffiths,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The New Christs,
Y Pants,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Yazoo,
Crash Course in Science, Crash Course in Science, Crash Course in Science, Crash Course in Science.
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.