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 Kiribati and from Beijing.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron 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 1969 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 organ 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 The Detroit Cobras to the grime 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 Bang On A Can. All the underground hits.
All The Peanut Butter Conspiracy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marcia Griffiths record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Swans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
X-102,
Neil Young,
The Monks,
Boredoms,
A Certain Ratio,
Zapp,
DJ Style,
Nico,
Gang Green,
Ossler,
Los Fastidios,
Easy Going,
Minor Threat,
Oneida,
Soft Cell,
Dennis Brown,
Panda Bear,
Alison Limerick,
Make Up,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Von Mondo,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Bluetip,
Sexual Harrassment,
Gang of Four,
Marc Almond,
Intrusion,
The Fugs,
Zero Boys,
Agitation Free,
Cluster,
Simply Red,
Moss Icon,
Outsiders,
The Gap Band,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Depeche Mode,
Suicide,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Star Department,
Graham Central Station,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Byron Stingily,
Alton Ellis,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Altered Images,
Fela Kuti,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
UT,
Saccharine Trust,
Radiohead,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Pop Group,
Excepter,
Kas Product,
The Associates,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth.
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.