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 Slovenia and from Portland.
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 1967 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 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 Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic to the punk 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 Cluster. All the underground hits.
All Bobby Womack tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Mo-Dettes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Max Romeo record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Q and Not U,
Isaac Hayes,
Sam Rivers,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Alice Coltrane,
Cymande,
The Selecter,
The United States of America,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Junior Murvin,
Basic Channel,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Glambeats Corp.,
The Victims,
Barry Ungar,
A Certain Ratio,
Bobby Womack,
The Busters,
Rakim,
Danielle Patucci,
The Misunderstood,
the Bar-Kays,
Jacques Brel,
Yusef Lateef,
Adolescents,
DJ Sneak,
Drexciya,
The Gun Club,
Alphaville,
Spandau Ballet,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
It's A Beautiful Day,
48th St. Collective,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Country Teasers,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Faraquet,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Subhumans,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Brass Construction,
Bobby Byrd,
Pussy Galore,
The Skatalites,
Yazoo,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Marine Girls,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Altered Images,
Andrew Hill,
Brand Nubian,
Duran Duran,
T.S.O.L.,
Max Romeo,
Don Cherry,
Television Personalities,
Kenny Larkin,
Harry Pussy,
Howard Jones,
Soul Sonic Force,
Ituana,
R.M.O.,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh, Popol Vuh.
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.