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 Tonga and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 arpeggiator 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 Youth Brigade to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Rufus Thomas. All the underground hits.
All Donald Byrd tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Vogues record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 snare and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Cabaret Voltaire record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Idris Muhammad,
Cecil Taylor,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Trumans Water,
Vainqueur,
Stiv Bators,
Gang of Four,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Invisible,
John Lydon,
Lalann,
Grandmaster Flash,
Jacques Brel,
Second Layer,
Quantec,
These Immortal Souls,
Guru Guru,
Hasil Adkins,
Sun Ra,
The Velvet Underground,
Graham Central Station,
Hot Snakes,
Qualms,
The Martian,
Scott Walker,
Spandau Ballet,
Panda Bear,
Q65,
Whodini,
Kenny Larkin,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Bad Manners,
Ronnie Foster,
June of 44,
The Human League,
The Sonics,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Ituana,
Drive Like Jehu,
Eric B and Rakim,
Franke,
Alton Ellis,
Tommy Roe,
Pylon,
Harry Pussy,
Little Man,
Symarip,
The Associates,
Sandy B,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Albert Ayler,
10cc,
Ohio Players,
Kurtis Blow,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Golliwogs,
The Modern Lovers,
Barbara Tucker,
Scientists, Scientists, Scientists, Scientists.
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.