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 Portugal and from Portland.
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 1962 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Basic Channel to the funk 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 Five Americans. All the underground hits.
All Panda Bear tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Beau Brummels record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sonny Sharrock record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rufus Thomas,
Ornette Coleman,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
The Move,
Khruangbin,
The Grass Roots,
The Human League,
Scan 7,
This Heat,
Malaria!,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Colin Newman,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Rod Modell,
Lou Christie,
Jacob Miller,
The Fire Engines,
EPMD,
Crispian St. Peters,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Pole,
Sparks,
Suicide,
Jerry's Kids,
The Cramps,
The Gories,
Lungfish,
Gong,
Zero Boys,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Subhumans,
Section 25,
Davy DMX,
Porter Ricks,
Youth Brigade,
8 Eyed Spy,
Boogie Down Productions,
Iggy Pop,
Brass Construction,
Dennis Brown,
Pantytec,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Ponytail,
Loose Ends,
Junior Murvin,
ABBA,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Godley & Creme,
Magazine,
Skaos,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Red Krayola,
Shuggie Otis,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Marshall Jefferson,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Inner City,
Traffic Nightmare,
Japan,
Yellowson,
Derrick Morgan,
Motorama,
Cecil Taylor,
10cc, 10cc, 10cc, 10cc.
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.