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 Cuba and from Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Spokane.
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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Neon Judgement. All the underground hits.
All Moebius tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Janne Schatter record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nick Fraelich record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eric B and Rakim,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Joe Smooth,
The Happenings,
The Leaves,
Delon & Dalcan,
Scion,
Minnie Riperton,
Guru Guru,
Sun City Girls,
Tres Demented,
Buzzcocks,
Circle Jerks,
Howard Jones,
Barry Ungar,
Infiniti,
The Young Rascals,
Amon Düül,
Maurizio,
Aural Exciters,
Radiopuhelimet,
Pet Shop Boys,
Television,
Kerri Chandler,
Delta 5,
Barclay James Harvest,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Birthday Party,
Gabor Szabo,
Radiohead,
Glenn Branca,
Robert Hood,
a-ha,
Faraquet,
Eurythmics,
Funkadelic,
Grandmaster Flash,
Agent Orange,
Pulsallama,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Ossler,
Rites of Spring,
Sonic Youth,
Roxette,
Black Pus,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
ABC,
Moby Grape,
48th St. Collective,
Skriet,
Jerry's Kids,
Cluster,
Unwound,
The Blues Magoos,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Steve Hackett,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Neon Judgement,
The Fugs,
Ohio Players,
Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna.
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.