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 Burundi and from Lyon.
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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 The Electric Prunes to the rap 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 Lee Hazlewood. All the underground hits.
All Strawberry Alarm Clock tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Interpol record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Soft Cell record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Public Enemy,
Steve Hackett,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
John Holt,
Main Source,
Bootsy Collins,
Tears for Fears,
Simply Red,
Minnie Riperton,
Monolake,
Pulsallama,
Eric B and Rakim,
Eric Copeland,
Lebanon Hanover,
CMW,
The Pretty Things,
Judy Mowatt,
Goldenarms,
Supertramp,
Soulsonic Force,
David Bowie,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Brick,
The Smoke,
Blancmange,
Robert Hood,
Wings,
Khruangbin,
Sister Nancy,
Drive Like Jehu,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Surgeon,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Yusef Lateef,
Eddi Front,
Henry Cow,
The Tremeloes,
Eve St. Jones,
Ohio Players,
The Moody Blues,
Susan Cadogan,
Y Pants,
Easy Going,
Monks,
Peter & Gordon,
the Swans,
Gang Starr,
MC5,
Ultravox,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Swans,
Marc Almond,
Todd Terry,
the Human League,
Q and Not U,
The Remains,
Throbbing Gristle,
F. McDonald,
Audionom,
Dawn Penn,
Chris & Cosey,
Alton Ellis, Alton Ellis, Alton Ellis, Alton Ellis.
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.