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 United States and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Bremen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience to the techno 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 Moebius. All the underground hits.
All Crooked Eye tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rahsaan Roland Kirk record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Dead Boys,
John Cale,
Bizarre Inc.,
Gang of Four,
Harry Pussy,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Moss Icon,
Kerrie Biddell,
Grandmaster Flash,
Television Personalities,
Moby Grape,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Skriet,
Theoretical Girls,
David McCallum,
Quantec,
The Cowsills,
June Days,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
MDC,
The Neon Judgement,
the Swans,
The Fire Engines,
Black Moon,
Funky Four + One,
Goldenarms,
Anthony Braxton,
FM Einheit,
The Human League,
Yusef Lateef,
Stetsasonic,
Spandau Ballet,
Ludus,
Junior Murvin,
Lightning Bolt,
The Alarm Clocks,
cv313,
Crash Course in Science,
Niagra,
Suicide,
The Martian,
New York Dolls,
Janne Schatter,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Derrick Morgan,
Yellowson,
Eric B and Rakim,
Glenn Branca,
The Moleskins,
Jandek,
the Soft Cell,
Hasil Adkins,
Ken Boothe,
Jacob Miller,
Man Parrish,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Livin' Joy,
Can,
Audionom,
10cc,
Loose Ends,
Adolescents,
Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp.
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.