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 Liberia and from Philadelphia.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the oboe 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 Swell Maps to the dance 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 Beasts of Bourbon. All the underground hits.
All Stiv Bators tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Star Department 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kayak record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Saints,
The Velvet Underground,
Freddie Wadling,
The Blues Magoos,
Kayak,
Wally Richardson,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Radiopuhelimet,
Ituana,
E-Dancer,
Guru Guru,
Vladislav Delay,
Lebanon Hanover,
8 Eyed Spy,
the Normal,
Young Marble Giants,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Brothers Johnson,
Ice-T,
Yazoo,
Gang Gang Dance,
Flash Fearless,
L. Decosne,
Can,
Terrestrial Tones,
JFA,
Black Pus,
Mr. Review,
Sunsets and Hearts,
EPMD,
the Human League,
The Dead C,
Boredoms,
Amon Düül,
Parry Music,
Jawbox,
Sonic Youth,
Morten Harket,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Gastr Del Sol,
Organ,
John Coltrane,
OOIOO,
Mad Mike,
The United States of America,
The Stooges,
Wolf Eyes,
Panda Bear,
Grey Daturas,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Grandmaster Flash,
Outsiders,
Davy DMX,
Thompson Twins,
Josef K,
The Human League,
Patti Smith,
The Flesh Eaters,
Big Daddy Kane,
Magazine,
K-Klass,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Albert Ayler,
Trumans Water, Trumans Water, Trumans Water, Trumans Water.
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.