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 Comoros and from Edmonton.
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 1966 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Wire to the techno kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Lou Christie. All the underground hits.
All The Searchers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amon Düül II 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Chrome record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
David Axelrod,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Second Layer,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Leaves,
The Dave Clark Five,
Joe Smooth,
Theoretical Girls,
Fela Kuti,
DJ Sneak,
Schoolly D,
Nick Fraelich,
Gang Gang Dance,
Stereo Dub,
Chrome,
Rufus Thomas,
Nirvana,
The Pop Group,
Zapp,
Joey Negro,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Lyres,
Procol Harum,
Altered Images,
Johnny Osbourne,
Archie Shepp,
Faraquet,
Minor Threat,
Sixth Finger,
Trumans Water,
The Wake,
Warren Ellis,
Scott Walker,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Swell Maps,
Minnie Riperton,
Tres Demented,
FM Einheit,
Pere Ubu,
The New Christs,
Technova,
Glambeats Corp.,
The Angels of Light,
Angry Samoans,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Blancmange,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Ituana,
Eric B and Rakim,
Terrestrial Tones,
Wolf Eyes,
Ten City,
Wings,
These Immortal Souls,
Deakin,
The Monks,
Cheater Slicks,
Wally Richardson,
Patti Smith,
Alton Ellis,
Marine Girls,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men, The Mojo Men.
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.