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 Samoa and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Major Organ And The Adding Machine to the punk 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 The Velvet Underground. All the underground hits.
All The United States of America tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every A Certain Ratio 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sonic Youth record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Robert Hood,
Spoonie Gee,
Dennis Brown,
Matthew Halsall,
Kas Product,
Hardrive,
Roxy Music,
The Mighty Diamonds,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Minny Pops,
Juan Atkins,
Reagan Youth,
Pharoah Sanders,
Gastr Del Sol,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Average White Band,
Hasil Adkins,
DJ Sneak,
Pet Shop Boys,
Darondo,
Agitation Free,
Blake Baxter,
Sugar Minott,
Mr. Review,
Liliput,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Sixth Finger,
Girls At Our Best!,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Sparks,
Erykah Badu,
China Crisis,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Alice Coltrane,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Mission of Burma,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Mojo Men,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Scion,
Sandy B,
Eli Mardock,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Lucky Dragons,
Buzzcocks,
Gerry Rafferty,
Stereo Dub,
Scan 7,
Brick,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
New Age Steppers,
Crime,
Harmonia,
Altered Images,
The Evens,
The Velvet Underground,
Brass Construction,
Lou Christie,
JFA,
Tres Demented,
Pagans,
Bill Near, Bill Near, Bill Near, Bill Near.
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.