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 Ecuador and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 Accra and Jakarta.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 D'Angelo to the punk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Kas Product. All the underground hits.
All La Düsseldorf tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Terry Callier 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a X-102 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Little Man,
Grey Daturas,
Eve St. Jones,
Fugazi,
Bang On A Can,
Matthew Bourne,
Max Romeo,
Bobby Sherman,
Stockholm Monsters,
the Normal,
Toni Rubio,
Reuben Wilson,
Suburban Knight,
John Cale,
New Age Steppers,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Gang Green,
Livin' Joy,
Popol Vuh,
K-Klass,
Ohio Players,
Section 25,
Black Moon,
The Doors,
The Grass Roots,
Sister Nancy,
Barbara Tucker,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Unwound,
David Axelrod,
Ponytail,
Desert Stars,
EPMD,
Arab on Radar,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Gregory Isaacs,
Cal Tjader,
Fatback Band,
AZ,
the Association,
Franke,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Bill Near,
Erykah Badu,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Judy Mowatt,
Tommy Roe,
The Blackbyrds,
Tom Boy,
Deakin,
Cluster,
Laurel Aitken,
Youth Brigade,
Theoretical Girls,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Arcadia,
Black Bananas,
Echospace,
Soul Sonic Force,
Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna, Althea and Donna.
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.