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 South Africa and from Cairo.
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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 marimba 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 Rhythim Is Rhythim to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Amon Düül II. All the underground hits.
All Mandrill tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Goldenarms record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Dual Sessions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Nils Olav,
Lou Reed,
Scan 7,
Bill Near,
Gil Scott Heron,
The Move,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Royal Trux,
Pylon,
Shoche,
Gang Green,
Black Flag,
MC5,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Smoke,
Masters at Work,
Chris Corsano,
John Holt,
Davy DMX,
Goldenarms,
The Fire Engines,
Lakeside,
Heaven 17,
Echospace,
Kerri Chandler,
Barrington Levy,
Audionom,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Dave Clark Five,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Q and Not U,
The Gun Club,
Fad Gadget,
The Modern Lovers,
Mark Hollis,
Absolute Body Control,
Scientists,
Rakim,
Scratch Acid,
The Knickerbockers,
Slick Rick,
Tom Boy,
LL Cool J,
Dave Gahan,
The Velvet Underground,
The Fuzztones,
Roxy Music,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Lyres,
Half Japanese,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Star Department,
Essential Logic,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Henry Cow,
The Gladiators,
E-Dancer,
The Invisible,
Patti Smith,
OOIOO,
Minor Threat,
The Gap Band,
Connie Case, Connie Case, Connie Case, Connie Case.
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.