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 Switzerland and from Houston.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in London.
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 1966 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Copenhagen 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Mad Mike to the rap kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Searchers. All the underground hits.
All Kas Product tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Neon Judgement record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 an oboe and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Goldenarms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Altered Images,
Patti Smith,
Terrestrial Tones,
Moby Grape,
Don Cherry,
The New Christs,
Cameo,
Sex Pistols,
Barry Ungar,
Sun City Girls,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Slits,
Judy Mowatt,
L. Decosne,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Seeds,
Television,
Todd Terry,
Althea and Donna,
Lower 48,
Gregory Isaacs,
T. Rex,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Associates,
Faust,
Outsiders,
The Angels of Light,
the Swans,
Kenny Larkin,
Soul Sonic Force,
Essential Logic,
Moss Icon,
Toni Rubio,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Mad Mike,
The Modern Lovers,
T.S.O.L.,
Little Man,
The Beau Brummels,
Yaz,
Blancmange,
Big Daddy Kane,
Joe Finger,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Sonic Youth,
Kurtis Blow,
Camouflage,
Steve Hackett,
The Birthday Party,
Chris & Cosey,
Talk Talk,
Barrington Levy,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Tommy Roe,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Agitation Free,
The United States of America,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Ralphi Rosario,
Brass Construction,
Kool Moe Dee,
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.
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.