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 Norway and from Bologna.
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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Copenhagen.
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 chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Anthony Braxton to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson. All the underground hits.
All Connie Case tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythm & Sound record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sly & The Family Stone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
June of 44,
Index,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Pagans,
Fela Kuti,
T. Rex,
Moby Grape,
Supertramp,
Masters at Work,
Loose Ends,
Fear,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Tom Boy,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Joyce Sims,
Trumans Water,
Donald Byrd,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Radiohead,
Reuben Wilson,
Barry Ungar,
Sound Behaviour,
The Last Poets,
The Count Five,
Isaac Hayes,
Derrick Morgan,
The Motions,
Joe Finger,
Sarah Menescal,
The Smiths,
Sun City Girls,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Young Marble Giants,
Scott Walker,
Massinfluence,
The Kinks,
Jeff Mills,
The Monochrome Set,
Ronnie Foster,
The Zeros,
Gang Green,
Chris & Cosey,
Kas Product,
Gang Starr,
Motorama,
The Evens,
Nirvana,
The Invisible,
Absolute Body Control,
Radio Birdman,
cv313,
Rakim,
The Fugs,
Cal Tjader,
Pole,
Pierre Henry,
Eddi Front,
The Happenings,
B.T. Express,
Saccharine Trust,
DJ Style,
Nick Fraelich,
The Gap Band,
Tommy Roe, Tommy Roe, Tommy Roe, Tommy Roe.
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.