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 Guinea and from Beijing.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 L. Decosne to the dance 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 Brick. All the underground hits.
All The Gap Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Colin Newman 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jandek record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
the Human League,
Magazine,
Bronski Beat,
Barclay James Harvest,
Roger Hodgson,
Flash Fearless,
Nas,
Patti Smith,
Marcia Griffiths,
Procol Harum,
Los Fastidios,
Alison Limerick,
Qualms,
The Birthday Party,
Lower 48,
Underground Resistance,
Youth Brigade,
Pere Ubu,
The Kinks,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Guru Guru,
Jeff Lynne,
Infiniti,
Reuben Wilson,
New Age Steppers,
Crime,
Tomorrow,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Tears for Fears,
The Residents,
Slick Rick,
OOIOO,
Moebius,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
H. Thieme,
Spoonie Gee,
DNA,
Skriet,
Black Moon,
Neu!,
Smog,
DJ Style,
Jerry's Kids,
Dennis Brown,
Anthony Braxton,
The Monochrome Set,
The Monks,
Nils Olav,
Television,
Royal Trux,
Bill Near,
Janne Schatter,
Skaos,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Soft Cell,
Groovy Waters,
Tommy Roe,
Vainqueur,
The Fugs,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Black Pus,
Godley & Creme, Godley & Creme, Godley & Creme, Godley & Creme.
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.