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 Benin 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 1969 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Copenhagen 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Idris Muhammad to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Jawbox. All the underground hits.
All Silicon Teens tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Motorama record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tim Buckley record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eric B and Rakim,
Little Man,
Crash Course in Science,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Moebius,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Joyce Sims,
Blake Baxter,
Bobby Byrd,
Alison Limerick,
Dual Sessions,
Prince Buster,
Rites of Spring,
Negative Approach,
Marine Girls,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Althea and Donna,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Franke,
Intrusion,
The Move,
Joe Finger,
The Doobie Brothers,
Grandmaster Flash,
Niagra,
Minnie Riperton,
Vladislav Delay,
The Pretty Things,
Hasil Adkins,
The Gladiators,
Urselle,
Metal Thangz,
Pole,
The Sonics,
Graham Central Station,
Bad Manners,
Marcia Griffiths,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
the Human League,
Boogie Down Productions,
Davy DMX,
Rapeman,
Joe Smooth,
The Stooges,
B.T. Express,
Wolf Eyes,
Oneida,
Liliput,
Shoche,
Soul Sonic Force,
Jesper Dahlback,
The Velvet Underground,
X-101,
Roger Hodgson,
Tears for Fears,
OOIOO,
The Busters,
Los Fastidios,
Brand Nubian,
Thompson Twins,
Barbara Tucker,
Glambeats Corp., Glambeats Corp., Glambeats Corp., Glambeats Corp..
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.