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 Chad and from Jakarta.
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 1969 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 theremin 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 Lalann to the grime kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 MDC. All the underground hits.
All Pole tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cal Tjader record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Juan Atkins record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Johnny Clarke,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Suburban Knight,
Supertramp,
Jerry's Kids,
Bad Manners,
Funkadelic,
Eurythmics,
Bob Dylan,
The Count Five,
the Soft Cell,
The J.B.'s,
Television Personalities,
The Tremeloes,
Marvin Gaye,
Flash Fearless,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Jeru the Damaja,
Parry Music,
Vainqueur,
the Germs,
Magma,
KRS-One,
EPMD,
Cybotron,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Jawbox,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Bang On A Can,
The Beau Brummels,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Gastr Del Sol,
Heaven 17,
Kaleidoscope,
Mo-Dettes,
Funky Four + One,
Flipper,
Ronan,
Public Image Ltd.,
Pantaleimon,
Darondo,
Severed Heads,
The Fortunes,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Alphaville,
The Trojans,
The Gap Band,
Cheater Slicks,
B.T. Express,
The Searchers,
David Axelrod,
Marcia Griffiths,
Outsiders,
the Bar-Kays,
Half Japanese,
Das Ding,
Charles Mingus,
Nico,
Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne.
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.