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 Angola and from Lyon.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Vladislav Delay to the electroclash 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 Chris & Cosey. All the underground hits.
All Colin Newman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Flag 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Swell Maps record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Doors,
Archie Shepp,
Derrick Morgan,
This Heat,
Hardrive,
Eden Ahbez,
Underground Resistance,
Subhumans,
Susan Cadogan,
Agitation Free,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Clear Light,
MDC,
The Gap Band,
Brand Nubian,
Bad Manners,
Barrington Levy,
Japan,
the Sonics,
Pussy Galore,
Chris Corsano,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Monochrome Set,
The Tremeloes,
Fatback Band,
Model 500,
Funky Four + One,
Newcleus,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Kevin Saunderson,
Outsiders,
Fugazi,
Roger Hodgson,
Lou Reed,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Wire,
Magazine,
Tubeway Army,
Graham Central Station,
Brass Construction,
Scientists,
Gang Gang Dance,
Mandrill,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Talk Talk,
Cecil Taylor,
The Doobie Brothers,
Can,
Bobby Byrd,
Jeff Mills,
Brick,
Ultimate Spinach,
Whodini,
Kerrie Biddell,
Cameo,
Camberwell Now,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Swans,
Howard Jones,
The Wake,
Gil Scott Heron, Gil Scott Heron, Gil Scott Heron, Gil Scott Heron.
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.