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 Congo and from Beijing.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 güiro 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 Ken Boothe to the funk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Andrew Hill. All the underground hits.
All Funky Four + One tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dead Boys record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Alison Limerick record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bizarre Inc.,
The Gories,
Section 25,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Brick,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Tom Boy,
Qualms,
The Angels of Light,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Dead Boys,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Crooked Eye,
Banda Bassotti,
The Busters,
Joe Finger,
Stereo Dub,
Rotary Connection,
Flamin' Groovies,
Scientists,
Average White Band,
Leonard Cohen,
Slick Rick,
Kenny Larkin,
Crispy Ambulance,
Panda Bear,
MC5,
Rites of Spring,
X-102,
Interpol,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Black Flag,
New Age Steppers,
Faraquet,
The Martian,
Gong,
Erykah Badu,
Model 500,
Tomorrow,
The Residents,
Radiohead,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Kas Product,
Eddi Front,
Procol Harum,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Soft Machine,
T.S.O.L.,
Eli Mardock,
Eric Copeland,
Funky Four + One,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Andrew Hill,
Sun City Girls,
Jeff Lynne,
Tropical Tobacco,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Warsaw,
Ultravox,
Joey Negro, Joey Negro, Joey Negro, Joey Negro.
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.