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 Nicaragua and from Glasgow.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 2001 at the first Tiga practice in a loft in Montreal.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Fugs to the disco kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Subhumans. All the underground hits.
All Buzzcocks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sun Ra Arkestra record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 spring reverb and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Henry Cow record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cecil Taylor,
Freddie Wadling,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Rosa Yemen,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Todd Rundgren,
Alison Limerick,
T. Rex,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Lucky Dragons,
Matthew Halsall,
David Bowie,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Boredoms,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Von Mondo,
Mr. Review,
Kool Moe Dee,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Sonic Youth,
Donald Byrd,
Sonny Sharrock,
Ludus,
The Black Dice,
MC5,
Clear Light,
Japan,
Colin Newman,
Vainqueur,
The Smiths,
The Fuzztones,
Q and Not U,
Sun City Girls,
Joy Division,
Quando Quango,
Jacob Miller,
Jeff Lynne,
DJ Sneak,
The Standells,
Dark Day,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Alphaville,
Mo-Dettes,
Lower 48,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Kerri Chandler,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Faust,
Neil Young,
Television Personalities,
Connie Case,
Jerry's Kids,
Porter Ricks,
Kurtis Blow,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Negative Approach,
The Monks,
Bronski Beat,
Cheater Slicks,
Radiohead, Radiohead, Radiohead, Radiohead.
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.