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 Armenia and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 Stockholm and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Yellowson to the crunk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Henry Cow. All the underground hits.
All The Pop Group tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Desert Stars 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Letta Mbulu record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Patti Smith,
Banda Bassotti,
the Slits,
Fela Kuti,
Japan,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Barbara Tucker,
Darondo,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Adolescents,
Public Image Ltd.,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Radio Birdman,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Knickerbockers,
The Human League,
Crooked Eye,
Niagra,
Ice-T,
the Sonics,
Index,
DJ Style,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
10cc,
Amon Düül II,
Erykah Badu,
Minny Pops,
Rapeman,
Big Daddy Kane,
Bobby Sherman,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Anthony Braxton,
Alison Limerick,
DJ Sneak,
In Retrospect,
Lyres,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Alice Coltrane,
Todd Rundgren,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Main Source,
Procol Harum,
U.S. Maple,
James White and The Blacks,
Jeff Lynne,
Tom Boy,
This Heat,
Maurizio,
The Vogues,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Delon & Dalcan,
Bluetip,
Theoretical Girls,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Nirvana,
Ultravox,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Rufus Thomas,
Rakim, Rakim, Rakim, Rakim.
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.