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 Serbia and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Fania All-Stars to the rock kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Scion. All the underground hits.
All Cybotron tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Alice Coltrane record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a John Cale record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Vainqueur,
The Pop Group,
The Slits,
the Soft Cell,
Mission of Burma,
The Fortunes,
Warren Ellis,
June of 44,
Scientists,
the Slits,
John Holt,
Schoolly D,
Brick,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Nick Fraelich,
Fluxion,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
The Busters,
Danielle Patucci,
Royal Trux,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Fela Kuti,
New Order,
Joy Division,
ABC,
Bronski Beat,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Laurel Aitken,
Cluster,
Rufus Thomas,
Robert Görl,
Glambeats Corp.,
Black Moon,
Gang Starr,
Scratch Acid,
Moss Icon,
The Gap Band,
The Fuzztones,
Girls At Our Best!,
David Bowie,
Tubeway Army,
The Beau Brummels,
Basic Channel,
Ponytail,
Bill Wells,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Fatback Band,
The Blues Magoos,
Leonard Cohen,
Glenn Branca,
Gang Gang Dance,
Slave,
Outsiders,
Fat Boys,
Sixth Finger,
Oblivians,
Accadde A,
Sun City Girls,
Spandau Ballet,
The Star Department,
the Bar-Kays, the Bar-Kays, the Bar-Kays, the Bar-Kays.
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.