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 Sweden and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Bowie show in Bromley.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Jacques Brel to the dance 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 Wings. All the underground hits.
All Technova tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ralphi Rosario 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tropical Tobacco record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
8 Eyed Spy,
Brand Nubian,
Dual Sessions,
The Saints,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Terry Callier,
Bill Wells,
New Age Steppers,
The Tremeloes,
Jeff Mills,
Camouflage,
Robert Hood,
The Moleskins,
The Selecter,
Duran Duran,
Godley & Creme,
Skaos,
Sarah Menescal,
the Sonics,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Inner City,
Siglo XX,
Alice Coltrane,
Don Cherry,
The Real Kids,
In Retrospect,
Hashim,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Avey Tare,
Jimmy McGriff,
Malaria!,
the Fania All-Stars,
Roger Hodgson,
Mr. Review,
The Durutti Column,
Aloha Tigers,
Black Sheep,
Fatback Band,
48th St. Collective,
Man Eating Sloth,
Kayak,
Surgeon,
The Dave Clark Five,
Crash Course in Science,
Barrington Levy,
Oblivians,
cv313,
Pierre Henry,
Radiopuhelimet,
The Angels of Light,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Ronan,
Blossom Toes,
Dorothy Ashby,
Spoonie Gee,
Rotary Connection,
Tommy Roe,
Minor Threat,
Rosa Yemen, Rosa Yemen, Rosa Yemen, Rosa Yemen.
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.