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 India and from Taipei.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 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 Roger Hodgson to the disco 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 Juan Atkins. All the underground hits.
All Rahsaan Roland Kirk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Cramps record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Curtis Mayfield record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eyeless In Gaza,
Nils Olav,
Das Ding,
Tears for Fears,
Cybotron,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Leonard Cohen,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Avey Tare,
The Birthday Party,
Dorothy Ashby,
Parry Music,
Lakeside,
Maleditus Sound,
Pere Ubu,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Q65,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Pulsallama,
Chris Corsano,
Davy DMX,
Nick Fraelich,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Shoche,
Letta Mbulu,
Crime,
Anakelly,
Nico,
Newcleus,
David Bowie,
The Index,
The Moleskins,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
The Names,
Pylon,
Chris & Cosey,
Barrington Levy,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Bronski Beat,
Siglo XX,
Technova,
Gang of Four,
Hot Snakes,
the Swans,
Joe Smooth,
Ralphi Rosario,
Crash Course in Science,
CMW,
Ituana,
The Red Krayola,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Cluster,
The Fortunes,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Slick Rick,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Deepchord,
cv313,
Sister Nancy,
Nik Kershaw,
The Searchers, The Searchers, The Searchers, The Searchers.
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.