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 France and from Tehran.
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 1968 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the theremin 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 Accadde A to the rock kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 The Modern Lovers. All the underground hits.
All Dual Sessions tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Count Five record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Angels of Light & Akron/Family record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sonic Youth,
The Toasters,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Nico,
the Fania All-Stars,
Lakeside,
Circle Jerks,
The Invisible,
Unwound,
The Martian,
Bizarre Inc.,
Black Sheep,
Patti Smith,
Livin' Joy,
T. Rex,
The Alarm Clocks,
Ponytail,
The Dave Clark Five,
Eric B and Rakim,
Rosa Yemen,
Cymande,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
David Axelrod,
Eric Copeland,
Kool Moe Dee,
Pet Shop Boys,
Angry Samoans,
Sixth Finger,
Minnie Riperton,
The Skatalites,
The Neon Judgement,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Suburban Knight,
Mark Hollis,
Magma,
Jacob Miller,
Lou Christie,
Bang On A Can,
Neil Young,
X-102,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
MDC,
The Searchers,
Sun Ra,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Don Cherry,
Wasted Youth,
Animal Collective,
The Birthday Party,
Bauhaus,
Whodini,
B.T. Express,
Rapeman,
The Knickerbockers,
Fat Boys,
Hoover,
Jeff Lynne,
Mo-Dettes,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Pantytec,
World's Most,
Cal Tjader,
Qualms, Qualms, Qualms, Qualms.
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.