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 Nigeria and from Johannesburg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1965 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Sun Ra Arkestra to the punk 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 Happenings. All the underground hits.
All Gichy Dan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 linndrum and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Reuben Wilson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
D'Angelo,
Grandmaster Flash,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Cymande,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Supertramp,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Pere Ubu,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
DJ Sneak,
Eve St. Jones,
The Trojans,
Siglo XX,
MC5,
The Durutti Column,
Eric Dolphy,
One Last Wish,
Deakin,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Bronski Beat,
Vladislav Delay,
The J.B.'s,
Scan 7,
The Invisible,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Alarm Clocks,
Niagra,
Fear,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Red Krayola,
Shoche,
the Sonics,
Procol Harum,
Youth Brigade,
Eurythmics,
Circle Jerks,
Moebius,
Zapp,
Underground Resistance,
FM Einheit,
the Human League,
Ken Boothe,
F. McDonald,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
CMW,
Brand Nubian,
Soul Sonic Force,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
DJ Style,
The Walker Brothers,
Lightning Bolt,
The Fall,
Sugar Minott,
Stiv Bators,
Nils Olav,
Bobby Byrd,
Newcleus,
Johnny Clarke,
Alison Limerick, Alison Limerick, Alison Limerick, Alison Limerick.
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.