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 Bolivia and from Accra.
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 1965 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 The Wake to the jazz 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 Donny Hathaway. All the underground hits.
All Ronnie Foster tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every June Days record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Shuggie Otis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Chris Corsano,
The Motions,
The Detroit Cobras,
the Germs,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Marshall Jefferson,
Agent Orange,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Gories,
Eric Copeland,
The Velvet Underground,
Camberwell Now,
Technova,
Interpol,
Camouflage,
CMW,
a-ha,
Cybotron,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Pet Shop Boys,
Lou Reed,
Delon & Dalcan,
The Leaves,
Gang Green,
Delta 5,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Con Funk Shun,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Raincoats,
Man Parrish,
Visage,
Whodini,
Warren Ellis,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Radiohead,
Intrusion,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Theoretical Girls,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Martian,
The Five Americans,
Erasure,
The Slits,
Guru Guru,
Negative Approach,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Nirvana,
The Doors,
Tomorrow,
Erykah Badu,
Rotary Connection,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Lou Christie,
Sexual Harrassment,
Darondo,
The Blues Magoos,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Fugs,
Angry Samoans,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Rakim,
Hot Snakes, Hot Snakes, Hot Snakes, Hot Snakes.
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.