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 Botswana and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Bremen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Patti Smith to the dance kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Larry & the Blue Notes. All the underground hits.
All Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kaleidoscope 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tom Boy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Kas Product,
James White and The Blacks,
Marshall Jefferson,
Chrome,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Fire Engines,
Gang of Four,
Roxette,
Model 500,
Andrew Hill,
Metal Thangz,
Bill Wells,
Livin' Joy,
Intrusion,
Neu!,
Zapp,
Derrick Morgan,
Black Flag,
Roger Hodgson,
Lee Hazlewood,
U.S. Maple,
Niagra,
A Certain Ratio,
The Trojans,
10cc,
Lalo Schifrin,
Bush Tetras,
Television,
Black Sheep,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Wally Richardson,
Los Fastidios,
Arcadia,
The Saints,
KRS-One,
UT,
Hasil Adkins,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Faust,
Ornette Coleman,
The Wake,
Khruangbin,
Circle Jerks,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Amon Düül II,
Nas,
The Human League,
Don Cherry,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Rapeman,
Accadde A,
Unrelated Segments,
Sister Nancy,
Pantaleimon,
Severed Heads,
Agent Orange,
Gastr Del Sol,
Howard Jones,
Scion,
the Slits,
E-Dancer, E-Dancer, E-Dancer, E-Dancer.
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.