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 Tunisia and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 T. Rex to the techno 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 The Stooges. All the underground hits.
All Cybotron tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Minutemen 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a It's A Beautiful Day record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
MC5,
The Skatalites,
The Black Dice,
The Five Americans,
Basic Channel,
The Real Kids,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Yazoo,
Bootsy Collins,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Byron Stingily,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Bluetip,
Depeche Mode,
Eli Mardock,
Marvin Gaye,
DJ Sneak,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
the Swans,
New Age Steppers,
The Fall,
Andrew Hill,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Aaron Thompson,
Tears for Fears,
Soulsonic Force,
Anthony Braxton,
Arthur Verocai,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Sound,
The Count Five,
The Music Machine,
Ludus,
Lou Christie,
The Divine Comedy,
DJ Style,
Archie Shepp,
Gang Green,
Jimmy McGriff,
Terry Callier,
The Gories,
Bill Wells,
The United States of America,
Jeru the Damaja,
Neu!,
Althea and Donna,
Derrick Morgan,
Leonard Cohen,
X-Ray Spex,
Rakim,
Janne Schatter,
B.T. Express,
Frankie Knuckles,
F. McDonald,
Ken Boothe,
Jacques Brel,
The Sonics,
Simply Red,
Theoretical Girls,
Soul II Soul,
Visage,
Skriet,
Lee Hazlewood, Lee Hazlewood, Lee Hazlewood, Lee Hazlewood.
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.